Memory of Tears
by Cypher0120
Summary: The world of Terca Lumireis is threatened by an insidious plotter with an unknown agenda. It's up to Sodia and Brave Vesperia to put a stop to him, along with an ally as ancient as the world itself... *Blazblue crossover, ehehe.*
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: **This is a crossover from a different fandom, but with a bit less focus on that aspect. Though Sodia is slightly paralleled with a character who isn't making an appearance in this fic.

**Pairings: **Obviously Yuri/Estelle and Flynn/Sodia. And to a lesser extent, one-sided Terumi/Sodia.

**Disclaimer: **Blah blah blah, don't own Tales of Vesperia! Blah blah blah, don't own Blazblue! (These disclaimers are really unnecessary.)

_

* * *

_

_The flames continue to rise. What remained of the building that they were in is burning to the ground. Yuri had been wounded, and Estelle was looking down at him with an extremely worried expression. His lieutenant, stood...smiling before them._

_It struck without warning. Flynn had no time to figure out what was going on. The people he cared about most were being struck down, by the person he had forgotten to care about in the first place. _

_Why? Flynn didn't understand it. Why did this happen? What should he do? What can he do? What could he have done to prevent this? The way he is now, he could do nothing._

_Reality finally sets in. The cold, harsh truth. He had taken Sodia's presence for granted, and Flynn knew that he couldn't do anything to preserve her mind. He should have known the troubles she was feeling, but he never had time to listen._

_That was when he tasted the first sign of endless despair._

* * *

Zaphias was certainly a very busy place. As the capital of the empire, it is foremost in all of its affairs. Trade, interaction with the guilds, law-enforcement...speaking of which...

"Yo, Commandant." A voice called out, making Flynn snap from his daydream.

"Ah, Captain Sch...err...Raven." he replied, saluting the older man as a show of gratitude. Even though Raven claims not to be a part of the knighthood anymore, Flynn found it hard to believe completely. After all, his brigade still took orders from him whenever he's around.

The older man chuckled, placing an arm around the Commandant. "Ah, you seem troubled. Lighten up a bit. That serious look you seem to give all the time doesn't really suit you." He said.

"It doesn't huh?" Flynn replied, giving out a quick sigh. Maybe he had been working too hard. The other knights said that he should take a break, preferably a long vacation...a week or so would be good for his health. So they claimed at least. Sodia couldn't perform her duties today, and he saw how tired she was ever since a few days ago. She claimed that nothing had really changed, but he could see how fatigued she was. Once, he almost caught her sleeping on the job but through some sort of willpower, she knew when he was coming.

"Thinking about that girlfriend of yours?" Raven grinned.

"Lady Estellise and I don't have that kind of relationship." Said Flynn, shaking his head with a quick chuckle. "If anything, it would be Yuri and her highness who seem to act like what you're suggesting."

"Estelle?" Raven wondered, "Oh, I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about your lieutenant."

"Oh, Sodia." Flynn responded. "No, we're not that way either. At least not right now." He continued. He had no plans on furthering his relationship with her. Not until the kingdom isn't as busy anymore. Maybe in a year or two but their relationship wasn't exactly thriving right now.

Raven shook his head. "I don't know. Making a girl like her wait is usually a bad idea. By the way, where is she anyways? I was actually expecting her to be with you as usual?"

"I told Sodia to go home earlier today. She didn't look so well so I thought she needed to rest a bit." He replied, looking back at the general direction to where Sodia lived. Somewhere in the Noble Quarter of Zaphias. He hadn't really visited her there yet...

An explosion. Both of them heard it.

"!? What the –" Flynn started, looking to where it came from. Both Flynn and Raven started running, straight down into the Lower Quarter.

"A fire?!" Flynn wondered, looking ahead of him. "The inn...it's...what happened?" he asked one of the people watching.

They couldn't answer. It happened so suddenly and they had no idea how it started.

The whole place, burning to the ground. Wasn't Yuri's room right behind the inn as well? "Raven, try to find some knights to help the people here. I'm going to look for Yuri." Flynn said, walking straight towards the steps to the side of the burning building and climbing up. He had to make sure Yuri wasn't there, nor Lady Estellise.

Once he reached the door to Yuri's room, he found it opened already. Flynn saw a shadow on the floor, Yuri. And Lady Estellise was trying to do everything she could to heal him.

"Lady Estellise! What happened here?" he asked, trying to drag Yuri out of the room. They can't stay inside, otherwise the heat and smoke will get them.

"Sodia...sh-she..." Estelle whispered, following Flynn out.

Sodia? What was she doing down here at the Lower Quarter? "Yuri! Hey, are you all right? Wake up!" he called out to his friend. They were at the small open hall outside but they aren't safe just yet. The fire was going to spread so they can't stay here.

"Damn...I didn't think that would happen..." Yuri whispered, opening his eyes.

Flynn looked down at Yuri, before noticing a very deep wound on his side. It wasn't a natural wound, the sharp edge of a blade cutting deeply.

"Flynn..."

For once, he shivered at the sound of Sodia's voice for some reason. "Sodia?! Are you okay? What happened here?" he asked.

"Hahaha..." Sodia replied quietly, approaching the trio. In her hand was a sword with no sheath. Just a blade of pure ice. A sick smile escaped her lips.

He didn't know what was going on at first...until he realized it. Sodia started this fire and somehow, wounded Yuri. Why would she do that? "Sodia...you're..." Flynn said.

"Oh man, this seems to be an interesting reunion isn't it?" a fourth voice said. Flynn couldn't see it clearly, but the silhouette of a man slowly comes into view from the flames. A dark form...but he could see the eyes on it. Green, and an even more twisted smile. "Whoa! He's bleeding all over the place!" the man said, looking down at Yuri. "You gonna die? Bite the big one? Hey, think you're gonna die?"

"Estelle, take Yuri and run down. I don't think they're after anyone in particular." Flynn ordered, the princess nodding her head as she struggled to carry Yuri.

"Ah!" Estelle cried out, Sodia moving quickly and impaling her shoulder, forcing the princess to stay down.

"It's...it's all your fault...Commandant." Sodia whispered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Flynn asked, his tone demanding an answer.

"Every single thing I've done. I did it for you. But did you ever recognize them? No, you always were much more proud of your 'best friend, Yuri Lowell?'" she replied, still smiling. "No more. I decided to act now. After all, Yuri Lowell is unofficially a wanted criminal. Anyone helping a wanted criminal, is a criminal as well." Sodia continued, looking at Estelle.

What? This wasn't the Sodia he knew. It was that man. Somehow he had manipulated Sodia into this. It was the only explanation. "You..." Flynn glared at the dark silhouette. "What did you do to her?"

"Who are you talking to?" Sodia asked. "This is my will. I wanted to do this ever since that time at Zaude. I should have finished him off!" she shouted, raising her new sword and bringing it down on Yuri.

Instinctively, Flynn drew his own sword and clashed it right against his lieutenant's. In skill alone, he should be able to beat her, but there was something far different here as well.

"While you two are going to have your little quarrel, I'll just help myself and take the girl." The man smiled, beginning to approach Estelle, before stopping as a rain of arrows almost hit him. Not that they could actually permanently hurt him but rather, he was found out.

"Commandant, we don't have much time. This place is likely to go down anytime now." Raven said, hurrying towards Yuri and Estelle.

"Tch, I wasn't expecting this. But oh well, you'll be hearing from me soon enough." The man smirked, before disappearing from view.

Flynn would have followed, but with his blade still locked with Sodia's, he needed to finish this quickly. "Snap out of it, Sodia!" he shouted, breaking off and then striking her blade again with all his strength. The impact caused Sodia to drop the blade ad surprisingly enough, she dropped to the ground on her knees.

"I...What...?" she whispered, looking down at the ground. "What have I done?" she continued.

"Now's not the time for that. Sodia, we need to get out of here." Flynn said gently, taking her hand and forcing her up. He could see that she was disoriented, furthering his suspicions of someone tampering with her mind. "Raven, please help Yuri and Lady Estellise. Both are wounded, and make sure they're sent to the healing ward in the castle." He requested.

"Sir." Raven answered, nodding his head.

Sodia also needed healing as well. Flynn hadn't noticed it before but she was wounded as well. A light wound at her back. They needed to talk later, a need to discuss what exactly happened.

* * *

He woke up to a thunderous downpour of rain. Where was he? Struggling to get up, Yuri felt a bit of pain on his chest. "I have a suspicion that I'm at the castle." Yuri told himself, looking up at the ceiling. Well, no place in the lower quarter had such a high ceiling so it was the only explanation.

"Yuri? Yuri! You're awake!" a voice cried out from beside him.

"Estelle?" Yuri wondered, instantly recognizing her voice. "Were you watching over me?" he asked.

The princess nodded her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Sorry, sorry! I tried to do everything I could to heal you. After I finished recovering, I had to come here and make sure you're alright!" she replied, sobbing a bit but still looking happy.

"Where's Flynn?" asked Yuri, sitting up with a little difficulty. "And what happened to...her?"

Estelle shook her head. "I don't know. The two of them were talking to each other in Flynn's room. I heard a lot of crying on Sodia's side but I couldn't make out what they were saying." Estelle whispered. "Supposedly we're going to be meeting with them later but I'm not sure..."

"All's well I hope." Yuri said, leaning his head back. "I'm still just a little tired though, annoying little feeling." He sighed.

"Just get some more rest Yuri. I'm sure it will help." Estelle smiled, drying her tears. "I'll be watching over you. Don't worry." She continued.

"Thanks." Yuri responded, closing his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

"His name is Hazama. I've only recently met him two weeks ago." Said Sodia, her eyes down on the ground. They were listening to her now, her one chance to explain her actions. She didn't know how much help this is going to be, unfortunately. "He was the one who gave me that sword." She continued, pointing at the sheathed blade in the center of the room.

This is going to be hard to explain. If it's just about her burning part of the Lower Quarter and trying to kill Yuri, she could make a much better explanation. But she was also here to explain what she did at Zaude a few months ago. Sodia hadn't told anyone about it, continuing to live in regret and unease every single day. She didn't wish to tell Flynn about it in these circumstances but Sodia didn't have much of a choice now.

Yuri, Estelle, Raven, Witcher were watching her as well. Just those four, but most importantly was the fact that the Commandant was looking at her intently. She tried to explain herself earlier, but the right words weren't coming out. She was lucky not to be tried in the courts considering what she did. There were no witnesses other than the people around her right now, discounting Witcher of course. She could only hazard a guess at what the young boy must be thinking right now.

* * *

_She dropped a little bag, tripping as she headed up the steps toward the Noble Quarter. "Ah!" Sodia cried out, before someone caught her hand. The man who caught her hand was smiling down at her, though his eyes certainly seemed closed as always. "Ha-Hazama, thanks..." Sodia said nervously, blushing just a little bit._

"_You don't always have to be so formal, Captain." The man replied, helping her up. "Looks like it's my lucky day. I actually need to have a little chat with you." Hazama continued. _

_They had only recently met, a week or so ago. Even though Sodia knew he was a bit of a smooth talker, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him. Something about his charisma that she couldn't really understand...not that she complained or anything. "What is it?" she asked._

"_I'm actually going on a little trip. Probably going to be gone for a week but once I get back, can I ask you out to dinner perhaps?" he asked._

"_Eh?" Sodia wondered, surprised. It was sudden...did Hazama just ask her out? "Uh...sure...I'll try to reserve that week..."  
_

"Hold on. You actually agreed to go out with that guy? I thought you loved Flynn?" Yuri wondered.

"!" Sodia gasped, "Shut up!" she yelled, holding her head down. "I really didn't know what I had to say in that situation. He was kind, charismatic, very nice..." she sighed, closing her eyes.

"But that doesn't really explain much of your actions though." Raven said, still staring at Sodia. "I mean, that look in your eyes...I still can't make sense of how that happened."

Sodia opened her eyes again, before staring at the sword laid down on the table. "Try to approach that sword and hold your hand to it. Don't grab it though, there's something wrong with it." She said, watching Yuri and Flynn approach the sword.

The two friends nodded at each other, before holding out both of their hands towards the hilt of the sword.

"Tch." Flynn muttered, immediately pulling his hand back. He felt something there alright, a malevolent being that almost certainly did not like him. "I can't deny it, that blade has something odd inside." The Commandant said. He looked up and froze, Yuri's eyes seemed like they were in a trance before his hand suddenly gripped the hilt of the sword.

"Yuri!" Estelle called out, before the young man suddenly let go, gasping suddenly.

"Damn, what the hell was that?" Yuri said, stepping back from the sword.

"I told you not to touch it. Even I thought it was something I could control. Hazama told me he thought I would be able to 'master' it." Sighed Sodia, approaching the table.

Yuri immediately shook his head. "I don't think that was the case." He said, "Something inside that sword was talking. From what I remember, it believes it was trying to help you." He looked at Sodia.

"Really?" Flynn wondered, "I felt like it told me to 'Back off.' Not exactly the nicest voice I heard in my head." He shrugged. Now he can only wonder what Sodia must have heard when she took up that weapon. They didn't doubt her story now of course, but what about that man from earlier?

"I haven't finished yet." Sodia muttered, "I told you it influenced me by making certain memories resurface didn't I? Especially the one from Zaude where I almost succeeded in killing Yuri Lowell." She said bitterly.

"What do you mean?" Flynn asked. She had mentioned Zaude a few times earlier but...killing his best friend during that time?

"It's quite complicated, Flynn." Yuri said, knowing exactly what Sodia was talking about. "I'd suggest refraining from asking any questions until after she finishes this part."

Sodia nodded breathing in deeply. How should she start this?

* * *

"_We were never more than worms, writhing before an approaching storm. The time has come, our death draws near." Alexei said, "No one can escape it's doom!" he laughed, staring up at the sky._

"_Shut up already, you bastard." Yuri frowned, cutting Alexei across the chest twice. The former Commandant stepped back, glaring at Yuri._

"_It seems in the end...that I...was the greatest fool of all..." he continued, not even looking at the large crystal that began to fall. When it did however, the cloud of dust obscured the image of Alexei being crushed, that was when Sodia decided to act, trying to look for Yuri. She heard Lady Estellise trying to look for him, but the debris was certainly going to prove a little problem._

_It was then that she spotted the man at the edge of the platform. Almost as soon as Sodia saw him, she couldn't control herself. Earlier, Flynn pushed him out of the way and brought harm to himself. She didn't even know if the Commandant was going to live through the attack. At first she only wanted to give him a harsh talk...a really harsh talk. But seeing him just looking up nonchalanty at the sky as if nothing was happening well, it was certainly making her mad. Before she knew it, she had already taken out a small dagger and stabbed Yuri, watching him fall down the platform and presumably to his death._

_She couldn't believe it. She had actually done it, taken matters into her own hands. Now the realization hit her. She had murdered someone, something that would almost certainly be punishable by death in the knighthood._

* * *

"But I didn't die, so that doesn't really count." Yuri said, watching Sodia's dark expression. "Flynn, don't worry too much about it. That was months ago, I'm sure she had been regretting her actions for a while now." He continued.

"I know." Flynn replied, still staring at Sodia. "I just wish she told me earlier. But I'm not holding anything against Sodia. Her feelings must have been manipulated enough as it is." He sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. If she told him a few months ago, he would have been quite mad. Who knows what might happen to her? But now...

"That sword somehow brought those memories back. Somehow...I think it was controlling me just a little bit. My mind, clouded by how much I used to hate you." She turned to Yuri.

"Based on what 'it' told me, why don't you try grabbing it again." Yuri replied, not feeling too concerned. "I think you can ask it why it messed with your head."

"It's an evil sword." Sodia frowned.

"Not according to how I see it. As I've said, I believe it thought it was trying to help you." Yuri replied.

"You sure that's a good idea?" Raven asked. "I mean it did kind of make her act up last time." He continued, looking at Sodia. "Besides, that sword is not the only problem we have right now. It's the guy who gave our little Sodia that weapon in the first place."

"Speaking of which, when did he give it to you anyways?" Yuri asked.

"Two days ago." Sodia answered, "He said it was a gift that he felt was most suited to me."

"Hazama." Flynn whispered, "Does he even live in Zaphias?" he wondered.

"I don't know." Sodia said, walking over to the sword again. If Yuri suggested her picking it up again, then it won't be her fault if she decided to kill him with it. Immediately, her hand grasped the hilt. At that instant, she kneeled down on the floor, shivering uncontrollably.

"Sodia?!" Flynn asked, concerned as he knelt down beside her.

"My...sword..." Sodia whispered, closing her eyes. Something was flowing into her from the blade. Information? No...these were memories. Memories of someone else that was being directed straight towards her. "What...is this?" she continued. It all comes down to a single point, a similarity to the previous wielder of this weapon. Everytime she remembers what happened at Zaude, her emotions were taking over. "Is that why...you...?" she said quietly, holding the sword even closer to her. She could barely even hear the others talking to her, even though they were trying to pull the sword away from her. No...It is hers.

"Damn it. Sodia, let go." Flynn said urgently, trying to loosen Sodia's grip on the sword. She wasn't letting go though, and from the looks of things, she was already unconscious. "I'll take her back to her room." He sighed, picking Sodia up...who was still clinging on to the sword. "Yuri, Lady Estellise, try to get some rest. I'm sure you two must still be quite tired." He said, before turning towards Raven. "Cap-...I mean Raven, Witcher, try to find any information regarding anyone named Hazama. If we find him, he needs to answer for what he did."

The two nodded, heading out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

"Where...am I?" Sodia wondered, trying to look around for something...anything at all. The area she was in was a blank, white space. This was a place that had nothing in it to do, see, or hear...other than her own voice. "Hello?! Anyone?!" she called out, standing up groggily. It felt like a dream, but she still had conscious control over her own movements. She started running, trying to go somewhere, anywhere at all. Strangely, her mind felt clear, relaxed even as she called out. No one was responding for a while until....

"It's about time you found your way here." A voice echoed, Sodia turning around to find its source. Not that it actually had a source, the voice sounded like it came from everywhere at once. "I see that Yukianesa had chosen you as its next wielder. Interesting." The voice continued.

Yukianesa, the name of the sword then? "Who are you?!" asked Sodia, narrowing her eyes as she continued to look for the source of the voice. Sarcasm, she can easily detect it from the tone of the man talking to her. "Show yourself!" she continued.

A laugh, Sodia couldn't understand what could possibly be so funny. "If I could show myself, I gladly will. Unfortunately, my body has disappeared long ago and I'm only one of the souls that reside in this sword." It continued, the voice sounding a little more...dark.

"Then I'm..." Sodia started, before the voice finished it for her.

"...Inside Yukianesa. Or rather, your consciousness is." It continued,

This was certainly hard to believe, but Sodia had no reason to doubt it. The fact that this place was literally inside the sword did explain things a little...but why is she here in the first place? "You haven't answered my question." Said Sodia, "Who are you?"

"As of right now, that name has lost its weight over the years. You may call me 'Virtue' instead." The voice continued, barely even interested. "Now it's time for me to ask a question. Who are you?"

"Captain Sodia of the Imperial Knights of Zaphias. Second-in-Command next to Commandant Flynn Scifo." Sodia replied, before the voice just made an annoyed sigh.

"You didn't even say your last name. Nevertheless, I am not interested in whatever you call yourself. I was questioning your existence."

"M-my...existence?" asked Sodia.

The voice continued, "I don't 'know' you."

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

A laugh again. The voice was laughing to himself as if finding the situation highly amusing. "Well, I can't deny it. The fact that Yukianesa chose you as its next wielder and why my soul is chosen to talk to you as a result. Perhaps we are similar to each other, just maybe..." said 'Virtue,' continuing that odd laugh of his. "I believe I overstayed in your mind. We will likely meet again, but next time, you have to call out to Yukianesa itself if you want to talk to me." He said.

"That's it then? That's the only reason why I'm here? Just an introduction?" said Sodia, frowning as she closed her eyes. Or at least, she just made sure her vision wasn't looking around anymore. The mechanics of her consciousness inside the sword was a weird thing to actually wrap her head around. Really confusing.

"For now, yes. It has been a while since someone actually wielded Yukianesa. And you really caught it at a bad time last time you used it. I only managed to get a glimpse of your memories but I believe Yukianesa already talked to you about what it thought it had been doing, correct?" 'Justice' asked.

"Hmph." Sodia muttered, not bothering to respond.

"Regardless, wake up, my sleeping princess. Until we meet again." The voice finished, before Sodia felt herself being pulled away.

* * *

"Mmm..." Sodia groaned, flipping around and falling off the bed. "Ah!" she cried out, covering her face with her hands right before she hit the floor. Thankfully enough, the fall was short so there were hardly any injuries.

Picking herself up again, Sodia looked down beside her. Laying there on its side was the blade she had been desperately clinging on to as she slept. Yukianesa, the living weapon. "You've caused me enough trouble as it is." She muttered, picking the blade up. She looked around, trying to figure out where she is. She breathed out a sigh of relief, seeing a portrait of herself, the Commandant and the other knights on a desk. This was her room, bare enough as it is. It was small, but it had enough space for a small work area and a place to store most of her clothes. No true decorations...unlike the other knights in Zaphias. There was a mirror that she hardly used right against the door but for once, she was actually curious enough to look at herself.

She still looked the same as ever, if a little tired. Who brought her here though? She sighed, looking into a drawer to find some fresh clothes to wear. Once she has changed...into something that looked exactly the same as her uniform, she was ready to go out. She always did stand out within the knighthood, and she made sure to stay that way. Compared to the others, she felt the need to improve and get to a point beyond them so that her skills can be recognized. As or right now, there weren't that many opportunities and the last time she tried to prove herself may as well have caused the Commandant not to trust her anymore. She shook her head, heading out of the room as she looked for Flynn.

How long was she asleep anyway? Sunlight was shining through the windows, meaning that it should be quite early. Some of the knights were already patrolling the castle.

"Captain." A voice called out to her, Sodia turning around to see Leblanc and his two followers approach. Ah, the Schwann Brigade. As a group, they weren't exactly the best knights but their determination and loyalty is incomparable. They took their jobs seriously...a little too seriously in her opinion.

"Captain Leblanc." Sodia replied, acknowledging the older man's presence. "You don't happen to know where I can find the Commandant do you?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I believe the Commandant left early this morning to Deidon Hold with Witcher. Something about important business they found." The other captain said.

"I say, the Commandant looked really worried when he left. Though I can't really figure out why he forgot to bring his Second-in-Command with him." The thinner knight, Adecor said behind Leblanc.

"You know the rules. If the Commandant isn't here, then she's in control of the military in Zaphias." Said Leblanc, looking at Sodia. "Rebuilding the damage done to the Lower Quarter will take time but we should be able to finish within the week Ma'am."

He just had to remind her, didn't he? "Yes, alright. I'll keep that in mind." She replied, "You may leave, Captain. I don't want to be much of a bother to your duties."

"Not at all." Leblanc answered, giving Sodia a quick salute before heading away in the opposite direction, followed by Adecor and Boccos.

Again, she sighed, walking down the stairs before making her way to the castle courtyard. Flynn left without her, her fears were already rapidly materializing. The Commandant was uncomfortable enough to travel with her now, and perhaps he was now discussing her actions with some members of the Council. She shook her head, deep in thought before bumping into the one man she'd wanted to see last. "Yuri Lowell..." she whispered, frowning slightly.

"Kinda missed Flynn didn't you? He was actually hoping you were going to wake up early so you and Witcher can go with him but he didn't want to disturb you." The dark-haired young man said, Sodia making sure to avoid his eyes. She knew he was only acting nice because Lady Estellise was there.

"Yuri come on, you need to act nicer to her." Said the princess, approaching the two. Apparently she knows that Yuri was in a bit of sarcasm mode right now. Sodia didn't blame him. After all, she did try to kill him not once, but twice now. And she somehow still managed to get away with it. No damage to her reputation in the knights since they didn't talk to anyone else about it, but it certainly is taking a toll on her conscience.

"It's alright." Said Sodia, waving her hand. He has the right to insult her after what she did.

"You know, you really shouldn't let this whole thing bother you." Yuri responded, still looking at Sodia. "The event at Zaude happened months ago and I'm quite sure we've already settled everything that happened in the Lower Quarter. Relax, it's not that sword's fault either." He continued.

Hearing Yuri not blaming her was still something that annoyed Sodia. Nevertheless, she looked up at him and glared. "Just because you're not afraid of me doesn't mean you shouldn't be. If my mind ever snaps again, I may as well just try to kill you again." She continued, keeping a grip on the hilt of Yukianesa. "Tch, it's acting up again." She murmured, trying to control her emotions. Yuri's presence was still getting into her nerves.

"That's the Sodia we remember. Mostly strong-willed as always." Yuri replied, giving a little smirk before turning to Estelle. "Want to visit the Lower Quarter and see how they're doing?" he asked, thinking nothing of the current events.

"Sure, I'll just head up to my room and change." Estelle replied. "Wait here and don't move."

Watching Lady Estellise leave, Sodia frowned. Why was she still easily forgiven by that girl after all she did? She almost killed her lover, though they refused to admit it, twice now and there were no grudges being kept or anything of the sort. Normally she would have thought someone would have wanted revenge on her by now.

"We don't dislike you, Sodia. You are troubled, we know that. But we know how loyal you are to the Empire as well." Sighed Yuri, leaning back against a wall. "We don't like giving people a hard time if they have a good reason for their actions. You're not exactly someone who actively likes to hurt others are you?" he asked.

Sodia didn't answer for a while before laughing quietly to herself. "You are an odd man, Yuri Lowell." She said simply, before looking down at her sword. "I talked to my sword." Said Sodia, turning to look back at Yuri. "If there's anything I can't stand more than you, it's that voice that talked to me in my sleep."

"Good start. At least I'm not the most hated person on your list now." The young man grinned.

"Even so, I don't know how to use a weapon like this." Sodia continued, looking directly at Yuri with grim determination. "You are particularly adept at using a katana like this sword, why not spar with me for a while so I can learn a bit more about using this?" she asked.

Yuri chuckled again, drawing his own sword and carrying it right behind his shoulder. "You're not going to use the skills you learn to kill me are you?" he smiled, pointing his sword at Sodia.

"Don't push your luck." She replied, keeping a firm grip on the hilt of her new weapon. "And I don't need you going easy on me. Just because you can beat the Commandant in a swordfight means nothing to me." Said Sodia, briefly closing her eyes.

"_Deciding to finally talk to me again are you?" 'Virtue' said, talking to Sodia as she literally used her mind to talk to Yukianesa."I will give you advice on how to use this blade properly but that's about it. Don't lose yourself in the fight, otherwise you may just accidentally try to kill your opponent without realizing it."_

"_I know that." Sodia thought, circling Yuri. "This is just a way for me to release my pent-up emotions here instead of holding it in all the time."_

"_Marvelous." 'Virtue' replied. "Just chill, relax. Yukianesa is a precise weapon. If you can capitalize on openings, you should be able to defeat anyone quickly and without too much trouble." It suggested."Of course if you use its other abilities..."_

"_This is a spar. I'm relying on my skill with the sword alone." Sodia replied before drawing Yukianesa and slashing down at Yuri._

"_You really shouldn't make the first attack." Sighed 'Virtue,' feeling Yuri parry the blow and striking back. "It's going to take a long time before you can master this sword."_


	4. Chapter 4

Sodia had been ready to attack with all she had in an attempt to overwhelm Yuri and prove to herself that she can indeed beat him in a fair fight. But now, she felt a brief moment of hesitation. This wasn't what she had expected. Most of the knights she had fought in the past were soft from a life of privilege, outdated, spent. Yuri Lowell, was most certainly far beyond the capabilities of any other knight other than the Commandant.

Grim and silent, Sodia adopted a fighting crouch. If Yuri was disappointed in how she fought, she swore that she'll prove the man wrong. She was on him again, raising her sword up and bringing it down on Yuri.

Yuri only laughed. Raising his left hand in a move that was a mirror image of Sodia's own, he clashed his own sword against hers.

Sodia broke off the attempt, annoyance creeping in again. Tempted to just let her new sword do the work, she still tried to keep calm about it. She felt weightless, yet full of momentum like a hurled spear. Her blade cut a blur through the air, but not quick enough as Yuri jumped back and out of the way.

He knew how to make a proper defense in the middle of a fight. Especially that of a sparring contest. Sodia may be a high-ranking member of the knights but Yuri had more experience overall. He slashed once, watching Sodia duck and sweep her sword up and down in a lazy attempt to catch him as he went by. That was a move Yuri had long ago learned to avoid by tucking his head down closer to his center and rolling in midair, then kicking himself back at his opponent off the nearest wall.

Sodia muttered something under her breath, forced to shift her position away from the wall, deflecting Yuri's attack and pushing them apart.

More cautiously, Yuri approached her. He was eager to attack alright, but he knew better than giving in to it. He may dislike Sodia a little, but he wasn't going to humiliate her. He had successfully tested Sodia's defences. Now that he knew a direct attack would probably fail, he had to find another way to get closer to the young knight. Or just wait for Sodia to make the first move as usual.

Of course she did, charging with astonishing speed behind a furious diversity of strokes. Yuri retreated with lips pulled back over his teeth. _She's not going easy..._

Their blades clashed as he blocked blow after blow and still Sodia kept coming, attempting to overwhelm him with sheer determination and speed. Yuri went back four steps, then stopped. He drew his blade close around him, forming a tight defense in deliberate imitation of Flynn's style. Realizing she couldn't penetrate it and acting even more annoyed, Sodia backed off and tried a different style. Slow, deliberate, with sudden and devastatingly quick strikes. These, too, Yuri parried, and when Sodia's guard looked to be slipping, he offered strikes of his own.

Their sparring duel continued all over the courtyard, Yuri actually smiling and enjoying himself almost as much as last time he fought with Flynn. He had to admit, fighting Sodia certainly felt similar. She was wily and strong and used some moves that Yuri never saw in Flynn. But she was younger and wilfully ignorant of her own capabilities. She attempted her charge two more times, obviously hoping to force a mistake or wear out her opponent, but it was she who started to show the effects of the duel. She was already gasping, out of breath after using up most of her energy like that.

"I think that's enough for now. You obviously can't carry on like this." Yuri said, lowering his stance. "You did well though, but you just need to work on your stamina."

"How humiliating." Sodia whispered, leaning down on her sword and using it to prop herself up. "I thought that if I beat you fairly then I'd actually be able to feel better about myself." She said, watching Lady Estellise approach from the corner of her eye. "I underestimated you, Yuri Lowell."

"You weren't that bad yourself." Yuri grinned. "But I'm gonna have to say that you're not used to fighting with that weapon, correct?"

Sodia nodded, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She lost, but even so, it felt like she was doing much better with this new sword rather than her old one. The only downside would be that certain someone who's inside it.

"You two were amazing." Estelle said, clapping her gloved hands. No longer in that long dress of hers, she still looked out of place but no one really cared too much anymore. She was wearing that same pink outfit last time she travelled out.

Yuri grinned. "You certainly took your time. Ready to go?" he asked the princess.

"Oh, yes." Estelle replied, before looking at Sodia. "Ah...keep up the good work Sodia. I'm sure you'll be able to reach Yuri and Flynn's level pretty quickly." She smiled, taking Yuri's hand and leading the way out.

"Was that supposed to be a compliment?" she sighed, leaning back against a wall and breathing in deeply. "You better be awake." she continued, looking down at her sword and tapping it against the ground.

"_Of course. I'm merely a human consciousness trapped inside this sword. Whenever you're conscious, I am." Virtue replied._

"That's nice, but I don't really care too much about that." Sodia frowned yet again. "Since my sparring with Yuri Lowell is over, I'm going to need your help enhancing my skills."

"_I did manage to analyze your fighting style." Said Virtue. "You have above average speed and strength but you are definitely lacking in actual defense, offense, and stamina. At best, I'd put you on the level of a simple soldier."_

"Tch." Sodia flinched at Virtue's response. The sword was supposed to give her tips, not make her feel worse.

"_I'm not trying to make you feel worse. Just making sure you become stronger." Virtue said, as if reading Sodia's mind. "I detest being around weak people and you better prove to me that you can surpass your current limits if you don't want Yukianesa to be a useless weapon."_

Sodia nodded her head. "Well let's start my training then." She said, taking the sword's hilt and raising the blade. "We're going to need a different place though. Maybe against some of the annoying monsters outside Zaphias?" She suggested.

"_A little too dangerous though, don't you think?" __asked Virtue._

Sodia chuckled a bit in response. "I'm a knight, I can take care of myself. Besides, I didn't think you cared that much about my well-being?"

"_Yukianesa chose you as its next wielder. It would be very inconvenient if something happened to you." Replied Virtue with an almost exasperated tone. "Nevertheless, it's not like I can do anything to stop you. I'm only here to act as your guide in mastering this sword."_

Sodia began walking, feeling a little better now. "Alright, it's decided. I'm heading out to the plains and practice there."

It wasn't long before she was out of the castle. A few supplies comprised mostly of gels and a carry-on tent was all she needed. Captain Schw—err...Raven was kind enough to see her off. Along with the rest of his ex-Brigade. She really couldn't do much until the Commandant came back and gave her new orders.

* * *

"Nothing, Witcher?" Flynn asked.

The boy shook his head, "No one in Zaphias or anyone in the surrounding area is named 'Hazama.' First name or last name, we have nothing. If the Vice-Commandant is telling the truth, then Hazama may have been living under a false name for a while now."

"Or he only appeared recently." Said Flynn, closing his eyes and sitting down on a chair. This wasn't the only reason they were here at Deidon Hold. Reports of an Aer Krene acting up in the Quoi Woods forced him to station more knights around the surrounding area. They don't know the cause, but somehow the spirits that were keeping it in check had vanished based on observations.

In this darkened room, it was only him and Witcher. The other knights were outside and if anyone needed the Commandant, all they had to do was open the door to catch him doing some paperwork. So it was a surprise when a sudden voice began speaking to him.

"I see that he's causing trouble in this place already."

Flynn immediately looked up, before coming face to face with a young girl. Probably around Rita Mordio's age or less. She seemed to be wearing a far too elegant black dress and her long, blonde hair was tied up with two large ribbons. It kind of made her look like a rabbit.

"Are you lost, young lady?" Flynn asked, narrowing his eyes. Where did she come from? He hadn't heard the door open, and looking at Witcher...the boy seemed rather frightened for some reason.

The girl shook her head, "I'm not lost. But I do know that you are searching for Terumi. The one who calls himself Hazama now." She said, staring at Flynn with cold, red eyes. "I only have one piece of advice for you. You can't defeat him. You can try looking for him, but if he decides to get rid of you, there's nothing you can do to stop him."

Odd...the girl sounded like she was threatening him and yet, he felt like she wanted to help. "Who...are you?" asked Flynn. He knew she was dangerous, but still she felt like someone that can be trusted.

"My identity is none of your concern." The girl replied, stepping back. "But don't go after 'him.' There are things you have yet to understand if you even want a chance of defeating that serpent." She continued, her black cape beginning to cover her. "Unlike Terumi, I cannot stay in this world for too long. If I could, I'd be of greater help to you but as of now, my only suggestion is to wait. If he figures out that you are after him, you'll force him to take measures in getting rid of any obstacles." She finished, disappearing in a quick flash of darkness. The smell of roses filled the air inside the room. Certainly not unpleasant, but it would definitely be quite odd for the next person to walk in.

"Commandant?" Witcher asked.

Flynn was silent. The appearance and subsequent disappearance of that girl filled him with equal amounts of dread and relief. Was she even human?

"Commandant Flynn?" repeated Witcher.

He snapped out of it, turning back to his assistant. "Oh, sorry. I guess I have been a bit mesmerized." He said, trying for a joke...which did not make Witcher laugh one bit.

"What do you think we should do? Can we trust her?" he asked.

Flynn merely sighed, and placed a hand on his forehead. "It's the only thing we can do. Postpone the search and focus on our other problems. I have a feeling they're all still related somehow." He said, looking back and working on his paperwork again.

He thought of Sodia, trying to calm himself down. How must she feel, being left behind at the Imperial Capital? He didn't want to leave her, but Flynn told himself that she needed rest. Again, he gave out a breath of annoyance. Somehow he can't get over the fact that Sodia tried to kill Yuri at Zaude. Yuri forgave her, that much he can tell. But Sodia not telling Flynn was something much harder to take. That act surely must have caused more trouble within her emotions as she tried looking for someone to take away the guilt. That must be why she was so easily trusting of Hazama.

He frowned. Was it his own fault then that Sodia got into so much trouble? He was ignorant of her emotions for a long time, and back at the fire, she did say everything she had done was for him. Even Sodia acted embarrassed when Raven was asking whether she loved him.

That was something he can't deny. Sodia was attracted to him, but he can't be sure whether he's attracted to her. Based on her actions at Zaude, she had decided to take the law into her own hands...much like how Yuri would.

He chuckled at the thought. Sodia does share a few similarities with his best friend up until recently. It was only now that he was beginning to miss the old Sodia. The proud and noble knight and not the nervous wreck that she was the past few months. Flynn shook his head. Maybe he should be the one doing the apologizing. Last time they had a talk in the castle was during the aftermath of the fire. There was too much tension there to actually make proper confessions. And a lot of people were listening in.

He should talk to her in private.

"Ah...Commandant?" Witcher asked again, Flynn turning towards the boy before realizing that he hadn't exactly been working on his documents.

"Sorry, daydreaming." Flynn replied, taking his pen and actually doing some work.


	5. Chapter 5

Two months after, things have certainly quieted down. Sodia had mellowed somewhat, being able to talk comfortably with Yuri and Lady Estellise whenever they're around. She still hadn't talked properly with Flynn however, the Commandant being called away a lot. After all this time, they have even begun to forget about Hazama. Until one day...

* * *

An icy wind sliced through a group of monsters approaching a small family, Sodia running over to help them up. "Stay in your houses and don't leave until the knights give the signal." She said, watching the family head back through the entrance to Halure.

Ice crystals had formed in the surrounding area. Mostly whenever Sodia performed an attack against the monsters that were trying to get through Halure's defences. At first, the other knights were uneasy at how she got that kind of power. It's only when they figured out it was an extremely useful ability that they stopped pestering her about it. They're not the ones with blastia anymore. They can replicate the effects to a point, but Sodia's sword was the closest thing that can compare to the old power of blastia.

"Sodia, over there!" Flynn called out, pointing a finger at one of the monsters that emerged from the forest. One giant, insect-like creature that began flapping its wings and moved with surprising amount of speed. It landed next to a group of three knights and scattered them quickly enough.

"Useless." Sodia frowned, watching Leblanc, Adecor, and Boccos make a quick retreat from the monster. Considering that it was a Giganto monster, a Chimera Butterfly, she really shouldn't be surprised that they didn't want to face it head on. "Commandant, please keep the other monsters away. I'll take care of the big one." She nodded, running straight at the Giganto, her hand gripping the hilt of her sword.

The monster shrieked a shrill cry as she approached. The others couldn't see it, but Sodia was grinning. Drawing the sword from its sheath, she slashed once, freezing one leg of the monster before it retaliated with its scythe like frontal claws. Those she dodged easily, but not before freezing the left claw as it passed over her.

'_Enjoying this aren't you?' _her sword whispered, Sodia mentally replying with a shrug. They can talk once this whole ordeal was over. She instead focused on freezing the rest of the monster's limbs, immobilizing it so it wouldn't be as much of a threat. Weaving in and out of the flailing limbs, it wasn't long before Sodia made sure it was stuck to the ground now.

She approached it slowly, tapping its head with the blade of her sword. "You're kind really can't switch your strategy do you? Attack, attack, attack. That's all you monsters know how." She said, the creature's mandibles stretching forward as if to bite her face. It was still too far away though, and Sodia would have had enough time to avoid it even if it wasn't stuck there. The knights were finishing off the rest of the monsters so she had to finish this one off at least.

Sodia stepped raising her sword and pointing it down at the ground. "Freeze eternally." She said with a dull expression, bringing it down on the ground. The ground was immediately covered in frost, but more so on her target. The Chimera Butterfly was encased in an icy prison, growing larger the longer Sodia kept her sword in the ground. "Vanish." She said soon after, turning around and resheathing her sword. The ice encasing the monster shattered into several pieces along with the rest of the creature of course.

"That's the last of them for now." Flynn sighed, glancing over at Sodia. Halure and Deidon Hold were the main places that had been attacked by monsters recently due to the Aer Krene disturbance. They still hadn't found out the cause so knights are always on patrol and requesting backup whenever needed. He had heard that similar problems in the Coliseum City of Nordopolica as well but the Commandant figured they had a fair shot at defending their city at least. It was the non-combat oriented cities like Halure that were at most risk.

Upon rounding up the rest of the knights, they all went back on patrol, Flynn and Sodia heading back to Deidon Hold to file more of the reports.

At the guard station, the pair moved up to the second floor office. Something was strange though...

"Sodia, have you noticed?" Flynn asked her.

"You mean the fact that there were no knights actually stationed in this whole town when we arrived? Yeah, I noticed. There should have at least been a few who made it back here ever since what happened right ouside Halure." She shrugged.

The Commandant nodded, taking a seat right by the main desk. Everything was silent, before Flynn decided to break it. "Ah, Sodia...you are feeling a lot better now compared to a couple of months ago, right?" he asked her.

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Of course I'm feeling a lot better. Even you can see that." She replied nervously.

'Odd,' Flynn thought. He had noticed it recently, but Sodia acted so different whenever she isn't fighting. Initial impressions made Flynn think of the effects of the living sword but she was still holding on to it now. Not exactly a problem, but they have more important things to take care of.

Hearing something downstairs, Sodia flinched. "They're late." She frowned. Turning around, she made his way back downstairs while Flynn worked on the documents he had to prepare.

It didn't take long before Flynn heard a commotion downstairs.

"Ah!" a man's voice cried out, the Commandant immediately making his way down and watching Sodia pin someone to the wall, holding the tip of her sword close to the man's throat.

"Don't think I've forgotten what you did to me." Sodia gritted her teeth, barely able to control herself.

"P-please, give me a break... I-I'm not good... with these sorts of things." The man said nervously. Wearing a dark coat and tie and a white shirt underneath, he really didn't seem like he was from around here. His hat had fallen down to the floor due to Sodia's actions, revealing his short green hair. Even as he was pinned, Flynn could notice his closed eyes...

Frowning, Sodia let the man drop to the ground, keeping a close eye on him. "Commandant, he's Hazama. I never forgot his face. He was the one who gave me this sword and made me burn down part of the Lower Quarter." She glared at the man.

"That...wasn't me..." Hazama replied nervously, stepping back from Sodia.

"I would appreciate an explanation, Sir." Flynn responded, knowing Sodia's immediate dislike of the man judging by her reaction. "Calm down Sodia, I'm sure we can sort this out." He said, trying to calm her down.

"Thank you." Hazama answered, bowing slightly. "I actually came here to apologize. It's going to be a bit hard to explain, but please sit down, both of you." He told them.

There was a table close by, a few chairs placed around it that should be good enough for them to hear everything that needs to be said.

"Explain now. And don't expect me to believe anything you say." Sodia frowned, agitated by .Hazama's presence.

"As I've said before it's hard to explain. And it has been a while ever since I broke free of Terumi's control over my body." Hazama sighed as Flynn perked up at the sound of Terumi's name. Hadn't he heard that name from someone else before? If Hazama was correct in that someone named Terumi was using his body, then this explains quite a bit. Still confusing, but his story wasn't done to fill in the rest of the holes.

"I am deeply sorry for the trouble I've caused you, Miss Sodia. It's really too bad that our relationship didn't work out as planned." Hazama sighed, causing Flynn to wince...maybe in irritation. "Anyways, I have news for the Commandant. Being able to break free of Terumi's influence has caused me to know part of his plans. I believe he is after a power coming from the 'Child of the Full Moon?' Do you know anything regarding that?" he asked Flynn.

Flynn nodded. "It's not that long ago before someone was after the same power. The conflict was resolved, and there shouldn't be a way to access that power unless its wielder uses it through her own volition."

"I see, then maybe that's why Terumi hasn't acted up in a while." Hazama said quietly. "I would advise you two to be on your guard. Even I can't predict what he's planning next."

"Hold on." Flynn whispered. "How do we know we can actually trust the words coming out of you?"

"I can't really assure you much, but if you need to talk to me, you should be able to find me as a member of the guild known as Ruin's Gate. I recently joined so wherever they're digging, I'd probably be there as well if you ask." Hazama shrugged.

"Would you mind if I send for someone from the Altosk Guild to accompany you back to Ruin's Gate then? I'm sorry, but I'm just making sure." Flynn said.

"Not at all. I can understand that you're still suspicious of me so I'll allow it to show that I have nothing to hide." Hazama nodded. "I guess that's all I really have to say for today. I'll be right outside taking a look around... just until the escort you wanted has arrived." He bowed, beginning to make his way back out of the doorway.

Once he was gone, the tense atmosphere inside relaxed. Just a little bit though.

"Commandant, I know it isn't my right to complain about how lenient we were on him considering how I got away with what I did but still, I can't even begin to trust anything he says." She said quietly, her head looking down at the floor. Virtue was silent, she'll have to talk to him about what he knew later.

"We really don't have a choice, Sodia." Flynn sighed. "At the very least, we're giving him one chance to prove to us that what he says is true. Assuming it is, that's not the end of our problems if our enemy can take control of another body." He continued.

Nodding, Sodia began making his way back up the stairs. "Just one thing still bothers me. The fact that there are still no knights other than us here at Deidon Hold." She whispered.

"That is troublesome." Flynn replied, "Even so, once they do arrive, I'm sure they can provide a proper explanation."

"The problem would be if another wave of monsters attack this place." Said Sodia, making her way towards her own desk and beginning to work on the extra paperwork that Flynn wouldn't be able to finish alone.

* * *

There was a small camp in Deidon Hold, Hazama leaning back against a tree at the very edge with an odd grin on his face. "Those idiotic knights should be making their way back soon after driving off those creatures. Perfect timing too, catching those two alone like that. And really easy to make them believe what I said." He chuckled quietly, opening one slightly glowing green eye and staring back at the guard station where the Commandant and his Second-In-Command were working.

Flipping through a small notebook, Hazama began reading. "Looks like you made a few mistakes in your research Alexei. Ah well, I guess that's what one would call a 'margin of error.' Fortunately enough, I've already planned ahead, unlike you who's probably dead anyways. Interesting things to know here at least." He grinned, continuing to read through the notes of research. "My next move now will strike...where? Let's see how about...that Entele-whatever thing that might be a hindrance in the future? Most likely makes a stop at a place called Myorzo eh? I'll have to make preparations to go there once I let the Commandant's friend accompany me to that Guild. As if that's going to help much." He sighed, closing both of his eyes again. "So much planning to do, at least I'm not on a tight schedule anymore. The Child of the Full Moon can wait a few more days." Hazama told himself.


	6. Highlander

**One Week Later:**

"I have made them wait long enough." Hazama whispered darkly, opening both of his eyes. Working at Ruin's Gate in hopes to find something useful was seriously dull. Trying to make sure not too much suspicion was cast upon him was hard work, even more so trying to keep Alexei's journal hidden from prying eyes.

As soon as the dig around the ruined city of Aspio was finished for the day, he watched the rest of the workers leave, back to wherever they come from. Useless fools, information was nice but not if everyone wants to peek at it. Considering all the information he had gathered for himself so far, he needed to act fast.

Walking away from the digsite, Hazama circled around a bit, climbing a steep wall and pulling himself up. Ahead of him was a shattered landscape. A crater, along with the ruin of some kind of previously floating city. From what he gathered, this entire place used to be a part of Aspio, the city Tarqaron destroyed when rising up from the ground. Or so he heard. The members of Ruins Gate aren't exactly too keen on exploring the place, it was huge after all. Mountain-sized and it would take decades or centuries to fully explore the place.

Turning just a little bit, Hazama noticed a man standing atop a plateau overlooking the surrounding area. The long, white hair flowed in the breeze and every so often, a critter came up and sat on his shoulder. No doubt about it, that was one of the people he was looking for. Duke, one of the heroes of this world...again, based on what he heard.

"Yo!" Hazama called out, waving towards the man before he decided to approach. There didn't seem to be much of a response, other than a nod of his head to acknowledge Hazama's presence. How annoying...

Upon climbing up to the same level as Duke, Hazama placed both of his hands in his pockets. "We finally meet, Mr. Hero. I only heard rumours, but to see you in person...well...I am honoured." He bowed.

"I have been watching your movements, stranger. And I can't say I'm particularly pleased by what you've been doing." Duke replied calmly, the animals around him running away and leaving the two alone. "What are you planning?" he asked.

"You are a pretty sharp fellow, you know that?" Hazama grinned, leaning back against a tree. "Even I didn't know you were tracking my movements. I'm impressed."

"You're avoiding the question." Duke continued, though he didn't sound too annoyed. "Various events have been linked to you, but as of now, many are unsure how you fit into what has happened lately."

"Guess I can't keep talking much around you, can I? Ah, how dull...but then again, you are making my job easier by trying to learn more about what I'm doing." Hazama grinned, stretching his arms above him. "Anyways before I tell you what I plan, I want to ask a question. Are you familiar with the legend of the most powerful Giganto monster sealed away in Tarqaron?"

"What?" Duke asked.

"Oh, you didn't know? Scouring through every single source material I could find, I pieced it together. I even had to sneak into a place known as Myorzo to figure out that releasing the beast would open up the gateway to the brightest star in the sky." Hazama grinned. "And the key to open the first door, is the blade known as Dein Nomos. You can't hide it from me, Duke Pantarei. I can sense that you are using it right now." He continued.

Already, Duke stepped back defensively, the previously unseen blade that was Dein Nomos now floating around him. "I knew you were up to no good."

"You suspected it of course. But no one has proof against me in this world. And I doubt you've been following my movements for a long time. After all, I'm not exactly from here." Hazama smirked twirling taking one hand out of his pocket and twirling a butterfly knife around his fingers. "Of course, I don't have much of a reason to act incognito anymore. If you don't want to die, then you could just give Dein Nomos to me now." He nodded, Duke not even uttering a single word. "But judging by your character, you probably won't."

"I see you're not bothering to hide what you really are." Duke replied, frowning as he raised Dein Nomos.

"Well, that's enough with the pleasantries. I'll try to make this quick and painless." Hazama replied, jumping straight at Duke with his two butterfly knives aimed at the man's throat.

Duke leaped backwards, avoiding the savagery of Hazama's strikes. "I know for sure that letting you roam free threatens the future of this world. This, I cannot allow." Said Duke, bringing his arm down right as Dein Nomos horizontally struck Hazama, or at least tried to. A shadowy object seemed to have blocked it, before disappearing.

"Hehehe..." Hazama grinned, pulling a hand back.

Was he charging up for an attack? Assuming that he was, Duke charged forwards. "Crimson Wolf!" he shouted, attempting to ram right into his opponent.

"Fang Rising Kick!" Hazama responded, flipping backwards to avoid Duke's attack before the end of his shoes produced a blade, before he kicked the man up into the air. The blade didn't hit a vital organ, but it is definitely going to hurt with the impact behind it. "There!" he continued, pointing up at Duke before a steel-chain appeared beside him, it's snake-like head reaching up and clamping down on one of Duke's arms.

In what could probably be defined as an impossibility, Hazama pulled himself up into the air, slashing at Duke with wild abandon. Nine cuts with his knife, none of them aimed to kill but enough to wound Duke greatly before Hazama kicked him down to the ground.

The impact definitely sent Duke's mind reeling. Hazama had caught him off-guard, worse still was the wound he sustained on his side from Hazama's hidden blade. His fighting style was also something completely unknown to Duke, along with that chain weapon he had recently revealed. Getting up, Duke shifted to a defensive stance, Dein Nomos still circling him.

"Going to get serious yet?" asked Hazama, dropping down to the ground. "This won't be any fun if you don't put up much of a fight."

"Charge forth." Duke said, performing a Shock Thrust arte as the small blast attempted to blow Hazama away. The man dodged swiftly to the left, before he was hit directly with Duke's Dragon Ascendant arte.

Lifted up into the air, Hazama frowned, twisting his body to fall back down and looked back at Duke. "Ooh, I made you mad didn't I?" he taunted.

Duke began chanting. "Rain down your power upon us. Holy Rain!" he called out, a glow appearing above the air before the spears of light rained down on the surrounding area, a barrier forming around Hazama as he attempted to block it.

"Gah!" Hazama yelped, the attack breaking his created barrier, Duke immediately capitalizing on his opening.

"Shining Chaos!" Duke shouted, spinning Dein Nomos around him and forced Hazama to block again, this time wounding his right shoulder deeply. "Death Blade!" he continued, Dein Nomos thrusting straight towards his opponent, this time missing when Hazama leaped backwards.

"Oh man, I don't think I'll be able to beat you like this..." Hazama glared, opening closing one eye. "And you still probably won't give me that special sword of yours are you?" he sighed.

"Dein Nomos should only be wielded by those who have the resolve to change the world for the better. You are not worthy to use this sword." Duke answered. "You have made your position clear earlier. If you will not back down, I will be forced to eliminate you."

"I see." Hazama said quietly. "Well, I really can't have you spoiling things later on... I guess I just have to take this baby for a spin." He sneered, holding up his left hand. "Restriction 666, released! Deploying dimensional interface force field..." he continued.

"What...is this?" Duke wondered, stepping back. With Dein Nomos, he could sense a massive disruption of the aer flow. No, it wasn't just the aer being disrupted, it's as if Hazama was adding something else that's causing the imbalance.

"Ehehehe! I'll show you...the power of the Azure! Code SOL, Azure Grimoire...activate!" Hazama shouted, the darkness that briefly enveloped him scattering around the surrounding area. There didn't seem to be anything too different about him but...

Duke attempted to jump backwards, Hazama immediately upon him and slashing at his chest with one of his knives. That was much faster than last time, and Duke wasn't able to dodge quickly enough, the knife tearing a deep, vertical wound. Painful, yes, but Duke gritted his teeth and glared back, watching in horror as some of Hazama's wounds began healing.

"To make it more fair, I am going to tell you what the Azure Grimoire helps me with. Any time I damage you, the Grimoire takes part of your own life force and adds it to my own. Just standing in close proximity to me would drain you even further. It's a fitting ability don't you think? You with Dein Nomos, and me with the Azure Grimoire? Much fairer than last time, right? Right?" he laughed.

This was bad. The wounds he had taken were taking a toll on Duke. Even as a war hero, he can only endure so much.

"Guess I cheated a bit, I do have Ouroborus after all." Hazama shrugged, causing Duke to narrow his eyes.

"Ouroborus? You own that Fell Arm?"

"Fell Arm? Oh...guess, they just have a similar name then." Hazama replied, "But that won't matter much anymore."

It was another attack. Hazama reaching forwards and feinted a strike to force a reaction from Duke. Just as expected, Duke reacted with Dein Nomos swinging at Hazama again.

"Die." Hazama whispered, disappearing suddenly as he leaped backwards. It wasn't even a second before he reappeared right in between Duke and Dein Nomos. "Crumbling Heaven Blade!" he shouted, kicking Duke high up into the air. For someone with that body, the impact was very surprising. He wasn't quite finished though.

"Ouroborus!" he shouted, the snake-like chain appearing again, rising up and clamped down on Duke's shoulder. "Blow him away." Hazama continued, pulling back and sending Duke crashing to the ground, only to be followed up by one final attack. "Come here...let's play." Hazama grinned, another chain clamping down on Duke and pulled him straight back to Hazama. With a sick smile, both of Hazama's knives were a flurry of motion, wounding Duke even more than last time...and one slash cutting off his entire left arm. "Ahahahaha...!"

Barely even conscious now, Duke watched as three serpent-like silhouettes appeared behind Hazama and crashed into him. Blown back by the impact, Duke laid down on the ground, unable to do much anymore. Breathing heavily, he stared up and closed his eyes, waiting for the end.

"Hey now, what the hell was that? I didn't think you'd be this weak..." Hazama sighed, approaching Duke. "Anyways, Duke my man, this is good-bye. I don't really want to see you again, so I'm just gonna snap you up into little bits and leave you to rot somewhere, 'K?" he chuckled, picking up Dein Nomos on the ground. Right before he could swing it down on Duke though...

A dark shadow passed overhead, Hazama pausing to look up.

"Moon Beam!" a voice shouted out, before a spear suddenly came down right at Hazama...barely missing as he dove for cover.

There was a sharp hiss, Hazama getting up before white smoke covered the whole area. "A smoke bomb eh?" he muttered, placing a hand on his hat. "Heh, you can run if you want, that won't make much of a difference in the long run." He muttered, noticing the shadow above begin to drop down. Deciding not to do anything about it, Hazama merely watched someone get off the shadow...presumably to help Duke before getting back on that shadow.

As the smoke began to clear, Hazama stared up, noticing the giant whale-like creature rising up into the air with a ship attach to its bottom. "There's the Entelexeia..." Hazama chuckled, watching it begin to leave. "No worries about that, I got what I came for." He continued, looking down at Dein Nomos. "Guess they forgot your arm. Too bad." Hazama chuckled, staring at Duke's severed left arm. "But maybe I could use it for something else..."

* * *

She had a really bad feeling about this. Ever since her and Ba'ul had arrived at Myorzo, something had been bothering the young Entelexeia. As if there was a dark presence that passed by the city before going away.

Their suspicions were proven correct as soon as Ba'ul sensed the sudden change in the aer around Tarqaron. Something there had messed up the concentration and Judith had to know what was going on there. She was supposed to be visiting Zaphias, but she can't ignore what happened there.

Seeing Duke fight an unknown enemy, and lose badly sent shivers down her spine. If she had arrived earlier, maybe she could have helped him but upon seeing his right arm get cut off, she figured all she could do was get the man to safety instead of continuing the fight.

That was where the smoke bomb she had bought came in handy. Though unsure if Duke's opponent would follow, she had to risk it and make a distraction.

Once Duke's unconscious form was on the floor of the Fierta, she had Ba'ul fly up again before staring back down at the ground. The man wasn't following them, but she can see one of his eyes staring right back. Once he was out of sight, Judith sighed in relief, turning her attention back towards Duke.

"You've lost too much blood. Try not to move." She whispered to his unconscious form, trying to look for something to keep him from dying on the way. Gels are a good start, and she has a good supply here. She was calm about this of course, no use panicking about what just happened. "Ba'ul, head straight for Zaphias. Some of the doctors and Estelle should be able to help him." She told her faithful companion.

* * *

(Author's Notes: Oh don't worry. It's not like Duke's going to die.)


	7. Serpentarius

(Author's Notes: Short chapter unfortunately. Anyways, Ophiuchus is the thirteenth 'hidden' Zodiac sign. It's an appropriate name for a snake...thing I guess. Also, suspense.

* * *

"Oh wow, this place is a wreck." Hazama said, walking into the ruins of Tarqaron. The core of this weaponized city was what he was after, though it may take some time to reach. Even Alexei didn't have the right notes for this place so he might be here for a while.

"Of course, I can't afford to waste too much time. A proper Murakumo unit can't be tempered in this world, but I'll just have to make one with the current resources." He told himself, humming a tune to himself as he walked through a dark tunnel. There were monsters in this place, but they weren't too threatening...nor do they attack him willingly.

An hour later, he found himself in a large chamber. The center of the room had what appeared to be a cylindrical container that connected the floor to the ceiling. This was a place not even the previous explorers had reached yet. It was mostly a ruin of course, but no one would actually actively look around here...nor would they know what to do.

Taking Dein Nomos in his hand, Hazama walked up to the cylinder and raised the sword, the energies released from it being absorbed by the cylinder...but that's about it.

"Hmm... did I miscalculate?" Hazama wondered, lowering Dein Nomos. "Perhaps more power is needed?"

"No... that is sufficient enough." A voice echoed from around the room, pieces of the cylinder twisting and turning before finally shattering, blowing Hazama back against the far wall. From the ruined cylinder, something emerged. A serpentine body that was much longer than what the cylinder appeared to be. Fully emerging from the ruined pillar, the serpent dropped down. Apparently, the cylinder only held part of its body. Destroying it allowed the rest of it to escape.

"Amazing... this is more than I expected." Hazama grinned, continuing to watch the giant snake uncoil. From what he can see, it is also a serpent with wings and a slightly armoured head. "A Giganto Monster of the highest caliber, impressive."

"Me, a Giganto?" the snake turned, speaking to Hazama without even opening its mouth. "You poor fool. I am more than that!" it exclaimed rearing back and suddenly lunging at Hazama, who barely managed to jump out of the way.

"It can speak huh?" Hazama told himself, the tale of the snake striking at him as well. This, he dodged too, making his way back to the center of the room.

"I am an Entelexeia." The serpent said. "Voice of the ancients, and sovereign ruler of the living things in Terca Lumireis. The humans feared me, and so I was sealed away. The Spiral Draco used to worship me, but also agreed to have me sealed. This world must fall in order to be saved. Bound was I in this prison for a thousand years, Tarqaron created long after to safeguard my existence." It continued, circling Hazama. "And so I thank you for granting me my longed-for rebirth. I am the Great Serpent, the god of the Entelexia. My name is Ophiuchus. By my will, this world shall know salvation."

* * *

"Yuri!" a voice called out, waking the young man up in his bedroom.

"Shouldn't have left that window open." He yawned, stretching his limbs. He had been resting the past hour or so after a little job at the Lower Quarter. "Repede, mind going out and see what's happening?" asked Yuri, watching the dog walk out of the door. "Shouldn't Estelle be back at the castle now or something?" he wondered, trying to reorient himself before heading out as well.

"So what's happening?" he asked, seeing Estelle immediately perk her head up at the sound of his voice.

"It's Duke. Judith brought him to the castle. He was injured, even his arm was cut off!" the princess told him.

"Wait, what?" Yuri asked in suprise. For Duke to have that kind of injury... he doubted it was by natural causes. "Shouldn't you be at the castle helping to heal him?" he asked Estelle.

"I know. But I had to tell you as well." Estelle said. "And I think he called out your name a few times. Your last name at least." She continued.

"That's weird. But we should still probably check on him now." Yuri said, watching Estelle nod her head as she lead the way back to the castle. Well, the knights shouldn't be stopping him from entering the castle with Estelle giving him permission.

Just as they reached the bottom of the steps leading up to the Noble Quarter, he heard some of the crowd gasp and point up at the sky. Turning around, both Yuri and Estelle froze. What they saw was a serpentine creature soaring through the air, its wings unfurled as it passed by above the capital. Judging from its length, it was twice as long as Ba'ul...though its girth wasn't as massive. A giant, winged snake...what's going on?

"Impossible..." Estelle whispered, Yuri turning around and noticing the four elemental spirits beside Estelle. They seemed to know something about this, and perhaps they already told Estelle what it was in her mind.

"How can it be?" Efreet wondered.

"You can sense his power don't you? Even with all four of us, it's almost as if we wouldn't even be able to do any lasting damage to him should he decide to fight us." Undine replied.

"So this is what it feels to be in the presence of the Entelexeia god. We can only hope he isn't hostile." Sylph continued.

"The Entelexeia god?" Estelle asked, still staring up at the great serpent, freezing up again as it turned its eyes towards her. She couldn't move...

"The Child of the Full Moon." Ophiuchus whispered, its wings folding up as it made its way down, crushing some of the shops and houses with its body, before deciding to circle Yuri, Estelle, and the four Elemental Spirits.

The screams started then, many people shocked about what was going on.

"Pitiful fools. As expected of humans, destroy a small part of their living area and they scatter like flies." The serpent continued, turning its attention back to Estelle. "So the rumours in that prison were true. The Children of the Full Moon haven't been completely wiped out..."

"She is no longer a danger to the world." Undine said quickly, the four spirits obviously distressed about the situation. "There is no more need to eliminate her."

"Eliminate her? Who said anything about that?" Ophiuchus chuckled, rearing up its neck and spreading the gigantic, feathered wings on its back. "Regardless of whether the world is in danger or not because of her power, I am only interested in re-instituting my absolute rule over all living things. But that will take time. I need to see how much the world had changed."

It was Efreet's turn to speak in response. "Keep in mind, there wouldn't have been a world left to see if the humans hadn't managed to destroy the Adephagos. Much of the Entelexeia have also departed from this world, many of them becoming the spirits that you see before you."

"Be that as it may, that changes nothing." Ophiuchus hissed. "My powers are still unrivalled. Even the spirit who released me from my prison knew he had no chance to defeat me. Perhaps that is the reason why he wishes to gain access to the brightest star in the sky."

"Hold on there..." Yuri interrupted, walking forwards and looking up at the great serpent. "What do you mean gain access to the brightest star? Do you mean Brave Vesperia?" he asked.

"Why don't you leave, boy." Ophiuchus seemed to order, staring down at Yuri. "Or rather, take your leave. Humans have no business speaking to me." It continued, the serpent's eyes glowed briefly before Yuri felt his body being raised in the air. He had no control over it...

"Yuri!" Estelle cried out.

"Away with you." The serpent whispered, moving its head and flinging Yuri away without even touching him.

The rock surrounding a fountain broke as Yuri crashed into it, his body not moving soon after.

"I will return to this place again, Child of the Full Moon, once I have gained enough knowledge about what this world has become. This includes speaking with the surviving Entelexeia." It said, the wings flapping once before it flew straight up into the air. "This city is mine." It said, flying off to the west, presumably towards the Krityan city of Myorzo.

Estelle dropped down on her knees. She had never been this scared before in her life, almost as if she had stared at death itself in the face. It was a different feeling from the despair she felt when she couldn't control herself, or that feeling when she was standing up to Phaeroh. She was breathing quickly and heavily, and it took some time before she realized what happened to her companion.

"Yuri!" she called out, running over to the broken fountain and helping the young man up.

"I think I broke an arm and a leg." Yuri whispered, continuing to watch as some of the shock went away from the watching faces of the people. Some of them were even beginning to help him up. "There's going to be a lot of explaining if we want to understand what the hell's happening..."

* * *

"That blasted snake. So it won't help me, eh?" Hazama frowned, slamming his fist against the wall. "And I went through all this trouble. Useless..." he muttered, staring up at the hole in the ceiling that Ophiuchus had created. "Ah well, this is just a small margin of error. I can still reach my target... though I guess now I'll really have to take that so-called Full Moon Child or whatever."

"Child...of the Full Moon...I think...I've heard that...before..." someone said from the shadows, Hazama turning towards the source of the voice. "A friend of...Yuri...Lowell. Ahahaha, it's been so long..."

"You're a mess." Hazama smirked, watching the man approach. Judging by how he looked he is, for all extents and purposes, a dead person. Well...dead, until recently. Did releasing Ophiuchus do something to the dead body that had somehow come back to life? "What's your name?" Hazama asked.

"My name is Zagi... the future killer of the one known as Yuri Lowell." The man answered.

"Never heard of this Yuri person. But you did say that guy is a friend of the...Child of the Full Moon I believe?" Hazama wondered.

"It's from what I've heard in the past. Now that I've regained movement, I can finally kill him!" Zagi responded, before suddenly falling down on his knees. "Gah...! What's happening...?" he frowned, looking down at his hands.

"So I guess you really are dead after all." Hazama said quietly. "Your willpower is basically the only thing you have that allows you to continue existing. If it wasn't for that snake's reawakening, you may even have stayed dead." Hazama chuckled.

"Damn it...damn it...damn it!" Zagi shouted. "Even after I surpassed death, I can't do anything?"

"Who said anything about you surpassing death?" Hazama smirked. "It was merely a lucky break for you. You may be annoyed that there isn't much to do at the moment, but I think we can help each other out. I think I can understand your situation." He continued, tilting his hat.

"Anything so I can carry out my plan for revenge." Zagi replied, looking up at Hazama.

"Judging by your character, you're probably going to enjoy these tasks. Just act as a homicidal maniac and kill a few people in...ah... Capua Nor I guess?" Hazama suggested. "I need to cause a bit of chaos in this world so they won't be able to link events directly to me. Make sure people don't know it was you committing the murders though. I don't care how many people you kill, just stay hidden. Hell, you can move on to other cities as long as people don't know it's you." Hazama chuckled.

"That is perfect." Zagi grinned. "It doesn't matter whether I target civilians then, right? I'm sure Yuri Lowell will show up to investigate eventually."

"Yeah, whatever works for you." Hazama shrugged. "You may not be able to do much in your current condition, but I think I can do something to make sure you last a while. We're both technically dead after all."


	8. Adventus

_The Wheel of Fate is Turning._

_The Devil is not so black as he is painted._

* * *

"Ow!"

"Yuri, hold still." Estelle told him, wrapping the bandage around his arm. Having one arm and leg broken from a crash isn't the best thing to happen right now, but Estelle was confident she could speed up the healing process...if Yuri lets her do it properly. "I know it hurts a bit, but just trust me. This needs to be done regularly."

"Can't you give me something so I wouldn't be able to feel the pain?" Yuri asked her.

"I don't really know about any product that can do that. Or at least one that won't interfere with my process." The princess argued.

The two looked at Duke afterwards, seeing him give out a quick sigh on the bed. He had recovered quickly...or at least in the span of about a few hours with the proper treatment. It's really too bad about his arm though. They can't exactly make another one, but at least he was no longer in danger of dying.

"Duke, what happened anyways?" Yuri asked him. It's hard enough to explain the events, Duke's injuries, that giant snake, Hazama's purpose...it's all too much.

Duke closed his eyes, deep in thought. "From what I've noticed, the man known as Hazama desires information about every aspect of Terca Lumireis. I was tracking him down recently. The Krityan knows how much information he already stole from Myorzo." He looked at Judith, who promptly nodded.

"It's not just Myorzo he stole from. You may not have noticed it, but I believe Hazama had also taken texts from the library in Zaphias during his brief stay in this area." Judith replied.

"So he was lying to us. That, or he got possessed again." Flynn said, entering the room and closing the door behind him. "But what did he need Dein Nomos for?"

"Took your time getting here." Yuri muttered. "Where's your Second-In-Command?" he asked Flynn.

"Sodia's investigating Shaikos Ruins with a small group of knights. There was a small incident there with a group of monsters but she should be fine." Flynn replied, taking a seat. "Duke, Hazama is not our only problem. We both saw that serpent flying out of Tarqaron. Is there anything you know about this?" he asked him.

Duke raised his eyebrows. "Not that I know of." He frowned. "But the man known as Hazama did take Dein Nomos from me, and we were close to the ruins of Tarqaron when we last fought. I can only assume he had something to do with it." Duke continued.

"The way it talked..." Estelle whispered, everyone else turning their eyes to her. "It said a spirit released it and couldn't beat him. Something about gaining access to the brightest star in the sky." She closed her eyes in response. "Efreet and Undine told me it was a god, even amongst the Entelexeia. But it isn't that malevolent."

"Not malevolent? It broke my arm and leg." Yuri muttered.

"It did say humans had no business talking with it. Umm...maybe it will learn to accept humans like Phaeroh once did?" Estelle told him.

"We can hope for that. It said it was going to check out the rest of the world before returning here. Let's hope its mind changes." Yuri sighed, leaning back and resting his head on Estelle's shoulder. "Hey Duke, there's something else I wanted to ask actually."

"Oh?"

"Estelle told me you mentioned my last name while you were being treated. Without explanations, that's kind of creepy." Yuri shivered.

Duke chuckled at the thought. "I merely remembered someone in my past who had the same last name as you. She was a brave member of the knights before she died." He continued.

"I see..." Yuri frowned. He wasn't going to ask Duke anymore about that. Or rather, he didn't want to ask.

* * *

"Aw geez...that wasn't anything at all like I expected." The young woman sighed. It had been an hour at most before they finally made sure to get rid of the monsters infesting this place. "I need a break."

"Hisuka, stop loafing around. We're supposed to hold this position until the next time Ruin's Gate comes by." Her twin sister said.

"No point in that now. It's not like the monsters are going to be back here anytime soon, Shastere." She sighed, closing her eyes. "And besides, we can't 'hold' a position if we're tired and ready to collapse."

"You're not going to collapse. It wasn't tiring anyways." Shastere replied, noticing a bit of movement at the edge of the ruins. "Is that Sodia?" she wondered. Her sister got up, looking in the direction she pointed at.

"Why is she running? That way leads to Tarqaron, and it's going to take a while to get there." Said Hisuka, rubbing her eyes and yawned. "Disobeying orders from the Commandant is so unlike her so...should we follow?" she turned to her sister.

"We should let some of the other knights know then before we leave. Come on, we're going to lose track of her if we don't move now." Shastere sighed, walking towards the closest knight and stating their intentions. They'll try to get Sodia back before it gets too dark, but there weren't any guarantees there.

* * *

'_You do know that you are disobeying orders, right?' _Virtue asked her. This was unusual, Sodia forcing him to locate Hazama's weapon. Seeing that snake in the sky somehow caused Sodia to think Hazama was behind this. And she wasn't far from the truth. Virtue suspected it as well.

She stayed silent during the trek to Tarqaron. It may have been a blatant display of insubordination by refusing to stay where she was assigned, but she had to check this out. And if she was right, then the least she could do is explain herself. After all, if she didn't...who would?

'_Those are dangerous thoughts, Sodia. Are you feeling alright?' _Virtue continued to ask her. '_Perhaps you should lay Yukianesa down for a while. I don't think your mind is strong enough to handle the constant flood of memories and emotions this sword is giving you.'_

"Shut it. I know my own capabilities." Sodia frowned. Arguing with the sentient thing inside her sword was something she didn't need at this time. "If I'm right, Flynn is bound to recognize my devotion again, ever since our falling out with each other."

'_Then Yukianesa has already...' _Virtue whispered. It had thought that Sodia's mind would be strong enough to resist the blade's influence unlike its own mind in the past. It sensed the presence of other people following them, but Virtue decided not to tell Sodia about them. If she was running into danger, then maybe someone could help her out instead of leaving her all alone.

Upon reaching the ruins of Tarqaron, Sodia's eyes stared up at the structure. Personally, she hadn't actually entered the place before, but she did hear the stories when Flynn told her about it. "Virtue, which way?" she asked.

'_Definitely inside.' _It replied, leading Sodia into one of the entrances to the ruined structure. It wasn't really much of an entrance, just a whole through the wall that lead to the dark interior of Tarqaron. Strangely enough, there were no monsters lurking inside. A few were waiting outside, but none seemed to dare enter the place for some reason.

It took a while before Sodia reached a large chamber, a broken cylinder was at the very center, the aer concentration unusually high. Normally, aer is supposed to be green but in high concentrations like this, it was producing an eerie red glow.

"Eh? Miss Sodia...? What're you doing here?" a voice called out ahead, Hazama stepping forwards as if in greeting. "You've kind of...how do I say it? Outlived your usefulness, I presume."

Sodia glared, keeping a tight grip on the handle of her sword. "I demand an explanation, Hazama. What is going on here? It was unmistakeable that the monster that was flying outside came from this direction. With you being here as well, you are a suspect in these strange events." She stated.

Placing both hands in his pockets, Hazama looked on, seemingly perplexed? "Going on...? Well gosh, kid, it's not that complicated. You kill off the people in the castle, then deal with the Child of the Full Moon. Well, actually you were supposed to lose in the process – die fighting, ideally. But hey, that's another margin of error on my part."

This caught her by surprise. "Wh-What are you..." she whispered.

"To be honest, I was kind of hoping you'd kill the Child of the Full Moon's overprotective friend like you were supposed to in the beginning. Man... you really are useless, aren't you?" Hazama chuckled, giving a shrug with his shoulders.

"Hazama, what do you intend to do with Lady Estellise?" she ordered, drawing her sword from its sheath and pointing it at Hazama. "You were lying this whole time weren't you? You were never possessed. You always had that goal from the beginning!" she replied.

"Half-right, half-wrong... both are true. That's all I can afford to tell you." He replied. "You certainly made my job a bit easier though, I can at least thank you for that."

"You better cease what you're doing now, Hazama." Sodia continued, "Otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?" said Hazama, looking back at Sodia with a dangerous expression on his face. "You think you can give me orders, you little bitch?"

The harsh words made Sodia step back, but she still pointed her sword at her opponent. "Who...What are you?" she asked.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, just shut up already. Well... actually... I guess I've got a little free time. What do you say, Sodia? Jin?" he looked at the sword at the last part of his words.

'_He knows my real name.' _Virtue told her.

"What? He doesn't even use you. How would he know your real name?" Sodia asked her weapon.

"Hey hey hey... Don't you think you've got more important things to worry about right now, Sodia? Things like... dying perhaps?" Hazama laughed, continuing to watch as Sodia ran straight towards him and lash out with her blade. It was easily dodged, Hazama jumping backwards before planting his foot on her chest and kicking Sodia away. "Ha! Did you really think something that simple can't be seen a mile away? I do hope you aren't thinking of actually beating me. That's beyond your power." He called out.

Picking herself up, Sodia continued to glare at the green-haired man. "I won't know until I try. You gave me this weapon after all. It's only fitting that I use it to beat you." She continued.

"Really? Is that what you think?" Hazama chuckled lightly. "You seem to be mistaken. The weapon you wield, Nox Nyctores – Yukianesa, is only second rate compared to mine, The Nox Nyctores - Ouroborus. If you honestly want to keep trying, well here's your chance to get the best of me. Come on, let's see what you've got." He taunted, smiling as Sodia readied herself.

"Ha!" Sodia shouted, taking out a hidden dagger and throwing it at Hazama and hitting his shoulder.

"Smart..." Hazama replied, pulling the dagger out of his shoulder, right as Sodia propelled herself towards him, her blade's abilities activating in an attempt to freeze her opponent as she slashed. Hazama opened an eye, walking backwards as he parried her slashes with his two butterfly knives. The assault was relentless, Sodia was giving it all she had to bring him down.

"Sword Rain!" Sodia called out, thrusting rapidly with her sword, some of which Hazama couldn't dodge. She still failed to hit a vital spot, but she wasn't aiming to actually kill him. If she can knock him out, that's good enough. "Arctic Dagger!" she continued, a wave of ice washing over Hazama, leaving him stunned for a moment. She paused, breathing heavily. This should be sufficient for Hazama to turn himself in. She'd hate for this to get ugly.

"Ahahahaha..!" Hazama chuckled, recovering quickly and placing a hand on his forehead.

"Are you insane?" Sodia asked him. "You're going to force me to kill you if you continue on like this. What could possibly be funny?" she demanded.

"Oh, I'm as sane as the day is long." Hazama replied, opening one eye. "I can't believe you're such an idiot."

"What did you say?" Sodia narrowed her eyes.

"While you're wasting your time yelling at me here, things've started happening. The gears are moving, and you're just about the only bitch who doesn't know." Said Hazama, jumping backwards to avoid another slash from Sodia.

"Who's laughing now?" She said. "Whatever you're planning, I'm going to put an end to it."

"Who's laughing? Well, I believe that would be... me." Hazama smirked again. "And you... putting an end to what I have planned? I seriously doubt that." He continued, stretching his arms. "I'll show you the difference between our powers." He said, voice lowering.

Before Sodia could make a proper response, Hazama disappeared before suddenly reappearing behind her.

"Snake Wing – Crumbling Heaven Blade!" he shouted, kicking Sodia up into the air. The blow knocked the wind out of her, but Hazama didn't wait until she fell down. "Ouroborus, go!" he continued, a chain shooting out from a space in front of him, it's snake-like head clamping down on Sodia as he sent her crashing down to the floor.

Getting up, Sodia held onto her arm, feeling as if the crash broke something. Hazama didn't let her get up though, tripping her with a kick to her legs before his chain clamped down on them. She heard laughing, before she felt herself being pulled again and sent crashing towards the farthest wall.

"So fragile..." Hazama chuckled, walking slowly towards Sodia. "I mean, I didn't really expect much from you but come on, you're barely functioning after I hit you a few times." He shook his head.

"You bastard..." Sodia whispered, trying to get up.

She couldn't...

The punishment her body received was proving to be too much. As Hazama stood in front of her, he reached down and forced her up, grinning all the way. "You may not be able to fight anymore, but our little dance is just beginning." He said, kicking Sodia towards the center of the room.

"Argh!" she cried out in pain. The moonlight shone down on her through a hole in the ceiling, Hazama reaching down again and gave her a cut on the face.

"What's wrong? Where's all that spirit from earlier?" Hazama taunted her.

It hurts, the pain she felt. Not something as pedestrian as physical pain, but the emotional weight of the situation dawned on her too. She can't fight back anymore. Not like this. The realization of the fact caused tears to actually stream down her face. It was foolish of her to come here.

"Crying? Oh don't do that." Hazama looked down at her, tilting her chin up towards him. "It's a shame really. Perhaps if you did your intended job properly, you wouldn't have to go through this." He sighed.

Sodia's eyes widened as Hazama kissed her on the lips, opening his mouth too. This disgusted her, and she tried to pull away.

"Nevertheless." Hazama smirked, "I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to leave you here to die alone but I need to make sure so please do forgive me." He continued, tossing Sodia up into the air.

"Dark Brand of a Thousand Souls!" Hazama shouted, multiple chains surrounding him before rising up to ensnare Sodia.

"A Mystic Arte...?" Sodia barely uttered out.

"In the name of the brave, the swift, and the impetuous Lord Susano'o...I command you to activate!" Hazama chanted, serpent like creatures appearing in the ground around him, surrounding him and coalesced into a single giant snake...similar to Ophiuchus. "Nox Nyctores – Ouroborus!"

The serpent opened its mouth, striking at Sodia, biting down and crashed on the floor.

When the dust cleared, Hazama's hat was gone as he twirled it around his fingers. He looked straight ahead, where Ouroborus struck down Sodia and walked to her. The damage was done. Part of her armour had been destroyed, some of the tattered fabric underneath seemed a little...burnt as well.

Sodia's eyes looked blankly ahead of her, expression unchanged. Or rather... there wasn't much of an expression left. She was barely breathing, but she was still holding on to her sword.

"I'll take that." Hazama said, pulling her sword, Yukianesa out of her grasp. "I've found someone better suited to using a weapon like this. You were just a failed test. No hard feelings I hope?" he chuckled, raising his hand. "I'm going to have to take my leave now. You gave me a good warm-up I suppose. So...farewell, relax...don't worry too much. You're about to die soon." He smiled, a chain latching onto the hole in the roof before Hazama made his exit out of Tarqaron.

That's it then, it was over. She was going to die here, alone. Sodia didn't care anymore... she blamed herself for this. She was too impulsive... not thinking things clearly. Even the spirit in her sword was concerned about her mindset and she failed to listen... again.

She couldn't move anymore. She can try, but what's the point? The monsters would probably catch scent of her and then devour her. She won't be able to fight back. Already, she could hear the things approach. 'Let them come,' She thought to herself, closing her eyes and waited for the end.

'_Shastere, is that man gone?'_

'_I think so. Hurry, we need to get Sodia some proper treatment. Hisuka, can you carry her?'_

'_Yeah, but I don't know how long she'll last in this condition.'_

'_Sodia, stay strong. We'll get you out of this.'_

'_We're going to send for the Commandant too. So please hold on.'_

She could hear a few more words after that, but they were dull and unclear. She perked up just a little upon hearing Flynn's name, before she finally lost consciousness.

* * *

(Author's Notes: Hazama's mean isn't he? Also...characters from the prequel movie are here too. Yay...)


	9. Return to Zero

_The road to hell is paved with good intentions_

* * *

"I've told Ba'ul to look for Ophiuchus. I think we should be able to talk and negotiate with it like we once did with Phaeroh." Said Judith, looking up at the sky. Outside of the castle, things have quieted down a bit, but tensions were on the rise. The appearance of a giant creature that crushed a few houses before taking its leave was a cause for concern.

With a sigh, Yuri stood besides the Krityan. "I'm not too keen in meeting up with that thing again though. It did say something about how humans aren't even worthy of conversing with it." He shrugged, remembering the display of power the Entelexeia used to fling him away.

"That's why we need Ba'ul to talk to him. If we can convince Ophiuchus to listen to humans, you can at least tell him what you're thinking. He listened to Estelle, right?" Judith asked.

"That's what annoys me though." Yuri frowned. "It talked as if Estelle wasn't human just because she's the 'Child of the Full Moon." He continued, kicking a pebble out of the way. "I thought everyone was past that already..." Yuri said quietly.

"Well, apparently not Ophiuchus. But he can't be that bad. No Entelexeia is actively malicious." Judith replied. "Then again, it must have considerable pride to consider itself a deity. Though I guess it does have the power to prove it." She said, leaning back against a wall. "Ignoring that though, we do have time to rest before it suggests a meeting spot. Do you have any plans for tomorrow?" she asked.

Yuri sighed...again. "Promise you won't tell anyone?" he asked.

"Probably not." Judith smiled back, crossing her arms.

"That's not a very comforting thought." Yuri said, "But anyways, I'm going to ask Estelle out on a date tomorrow morning. I'm sure she's tired right now after trying to heal everyone. Especially fixing my broken limbs."

"She's just that good at healing." Judith replied, before the rest of Yuri's words caught up to her and she made an odd-sounding hiccup.

"What?" Yuri looked at her. That didn't sound natural coming from the Krityan.

Judith pointed at him, and began laughing uncontrollably. "H-hold on. I wasn't ready for that." She continued to laugh, "That's great, that's so amazingly selfish, Yuri!"

"Hey, hey...what did I do wrong? What's so selfish about asking Estelle out?" Yuri asked, waiting for Judith to calm down as she walked passed him and smacked his back.

When her laughs decreased in intensity, she tried to regain her composure, but she was still chuckling to herself quite a bit. "Oh, nothing's wrong. I just didn't think you're a person who'd tell someone you're about to go on a date with someone else." She smiled, breathing in and calming down. "Good luck, Yuri. I'm sure you'll do fine tomorrow."

"Well, thanks for the reassurance then. You sure you're not jealous about my decision then?" he teased her.

"You wish. I do have some pretty high standards... I think." She replied, walking back to the castle. She passed Repede, who looked at her oddly before the dog sat besides Yuri.

"Well, come on. The two of us should get back to the Lower Quarter." He told his faithful companion, earning a bark of approval from the dog. "I still need to figure out how to plan this date in the first place. Where do I take her first? It's not like I can just..." he paused, seeing a figure run past him. "Hey! Hisuka!" he called out.

Hearing Yuri's voice, the female knight turned, seemingly out of breath. "Sorry Yuri, no time to explain. I need to make an urgent report for the Commandant." She gasped, before turning around and running off again.

Yuri frowned slightly, before giving out another quick sigh and continued on his way back to the Lower Quarter. Urgent news, yes. But he was quite confident that Flynn would probably be able to take care of it. At least he hoped so.

* * *

"I'm surprised, the world has indeed been quite peaceful. Perhaps I have been too quick to judge the barbaric nature of humans." The great serpent told itself, circling its body around the peak of Mt. Temza. "Regardless, watching them right now is perhaps the best thing for me to do. I can punish them for their hubris if needed."

He had recently talked to the Krityans and the Entelexeia that made up their city, Krones. They feared and respected him. That much he can tell. There doesn't seem to be any need for a deity like himself, though he was still very cautious about the recent events.

Hearing a call from a young Entelexeia, Ophiuchus turned its head spotting the whale-like Ba'ul flying towards him.

No true words were exchanged between them, lasting a few minutes or so before Ophiuchus nodded his head.

"Very well, I shall accept their invitation. I shall meet them in three days, above the sword stair of their city." The serpent told Ba'ul, watching the young Entelexeia fly off and deliver the news. He didn't despise humans, though he did see them as a species that isn't too important to the world as a whole. To think they'd be able to accomplish so much and make the world a better place in his absence...he had to admit, he was moderately impressed. But not without some sacrifices. They were still the cause of the decline of the Entelexeia, though perhaps it was a necessity if the Adephagos was to be stopped.

Three days then. Three days and the humans will talk to him about what they plan to do. "This should be interesting."

* * *

"Well, you seem to be taking your time." Hazama grinned, approaching Zagi at the base of Halure's giant tree. "Still pondering on who...or what your target should be? I would have thought you'd actually be at Capua Nor by now." he asked him, slinging a small bag over his shoulder.

"Ha! I require time to plan things ahead." Zagi exclaimed, briefly flipping the blade on his right arm in and out. At least they were still intact from what happened in Tarqaron, though without his left blastia arm, he only had one upper limb to fight with. That's not going to be good enough if he wanted a rematch with Yuri Lowell.

Hazama smiled back. "Well, as I was saying when we first met, I have something that can help you. A gift of sorts, since one arm just doesn't do you justice." He grinned, taking the small bag off of his shoulder and opening it up. "The arm of a person I cut off a few days ago..." Hazama nodded, reaching behind him and taking something else out. "...And this, a blade of ice fitting to your personality."

"Ahh...what exactly do you plan to do?" Zagi glared back. "That arm is entirely flesh, it's not something that can be attached so easily."

"You underestimate the power of the Azure." Hazama continued to smile, picking the arm up. "Best to do this operation at night. Everyone in this small city is fast asleep by this time so I'm sure no one will notice." He continued, making a motion for Zagi to turn around, the man muttering quietly to himself as he followed Hazama's order.

Attaching an arm that doesn't belong to you is hard enough as it is. For Hazama however, it was merely a simple gesture, and a few words that allowed him to perform the operation without any trouble. Even Zagi was a bit nervous around him by now. Who is he?

"Good as new." Hazama nodded to himself, letting go of the arm. "You should be able to move it around normally. It is the arm of a war hero so, yeah..." he said, stepping back and watching Zagi flex the fingers.

"Exciting..." Zagi grinned, raising his new arm. "I should really thank you, Hazama, if that's really your real name." He continued, mesmerized at what just happened.

"You can call me Terumi." Hazama told him, reaching down before holding out a sword to him as well. "Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa. The ice blade." He nodded, watching Zagi take the hilt with his new arm. '_Your mind is already twisted enough as it is not to be influenced by the negative effects of that sword' _Hazama thought to himself, seeing Zagi's wide grin.

"I want to test this out." Zagi looked at him, expression unchanged. "I want to see if I still have the proper skill to fight properly. I may not use a sword like this all the time, but my skills back then should still be proficient in their use." He grinned.

"Very well then. I'll be your... trainer for tonight." Hazama nodded, stepping back from Zagi. The base of Halure's tree is to be their battleground and it shouldn't take too long. Lest they attract the attention of people around the area.

* * *

**Dreamscape**

'Am I still alive?' Sodia thought to herself. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a white space, a familiar white space actually, from where she heard 'Virtue's' voice the first time. 'My mind again?' she wondered.

"Correct." A voice told her. "Though I must ask you to forgive me for invading your mind. I had no choice but to force my soul into you."

"Vir-... I mean, Jin." Sodia sighed in relief. Turning around in her mindscape, Sodia was surprised that Virtue had a proper form she could see this time. A green-eyed, blonde-haired young man who eerily reminded her of Flynn in terms of looks alone. Well, not really. But both of them radiated an aura of authority and respect at least. "Sorry, for dragging you into this."

"Excuse me?" Jin asked. "As I recall, you got dragged into this mess when you picked up the hilt of Yukianesa. Don't blame yourself. It's too late to back out now."

"I don't plan to." Sodia frowned. What an arrogant jerk. "Once I recover from this mess, I'm going to make that man pay."

"If you recover." Said Jin. "You don't seem to get it. The injuries you received from Hazama was definitely life threatening. You can't even wake up by your own will right now." Seeing him wave his hand and begin walking away, Sodia had no choice but to follow. There's nowhere else to walk in her mind anyways.

They continued on, neither of them talking as if to contemplate the recent events. A few more moments, and Sodia broke the silence. "Why did you come here, Jin?"

"Into this world, or transferring my soul into you?" he asked.

"The latter." Sodia promptly responded, staring at Jin intently.

With a wave of his hand again, the surroundings changed. It was an open field, the torrent of rain obscuring the vision a little bit. "With my soul inside you, this means you have access to my memories as well. Looking into your mind, I don't want you turning into someone like me." He said, pointing to a small figure in the distance. It was quite far away, but Sodia recognized Jin's form...impaled by the very sword he wielded, or rather, wielded by Hazama this time. "Who is the most important person in your life?"

"The Commandant." Sodia replied abruptly. It was an instinctive response, and she did not regret it.

"I see. You truly are determined to prove yourself to him, aren't you?" Jin asked as Sodia nodded her head in response. "Do not forget that then. If you ever wield Yukianesa again, keeping that mindset and die, your soul will be trapped in the sword like my own."

"But you can still escape from it." Sodia reminded him.

"I chose to let my soul enter you. Out of pity perhaps, but considering the fact that you're barely alive as it is, there isn't much I can do." Jin answered. "That is why I'm going to make sure you wake up eventually. Had I stayed in Yukianesa, you would probably be stuck in this limbo for the rest of your life."

"And why is that?" asked Sodia.

"Nothing to worry yourself about." Jin chuckled lightly. "But I'd suggest you rest your mind now. It wastes too much energy if you continue talking to me."

"And I'm supposed to just let you run around in my mind while you look through my deepest, darkest, secrets?" she frowned again.

"Don't kid yourself. I already know most of your deepest secrets when you carried me around inside Yukianesa." Jin replied, watching Sodia storm off with a huff. Well it's true. It may take a few days before she'll be able to wake up. In the meantime, he can at least keep her mind in proper, working condition.


	10. False Hero

A date? Yuri had never actually been in a proper date before so this would certainly be an odd way to start off with Estelle. Of course, it's not like he's completely oblivious to how it's done of course so he shouldn't have too many problems with this... right?

It was early morning when Yuri decided to head back to the castle. He was welcome there after all, as long as Flynn or Estelle was around. Of course, since Flynn went away last night, he'll have to rely on Estelle to bail him out of trouble if the need arises. As he walked up the stairs to the Noble Quarter, he sighed, looking behind him and noticing Raven trying to hide from his view.

"Alright old man, what are you doing following me around this early in the morning?" Yuri called out, watching Raven step out of his hiding place with a grin.

"I should be asking you something similar. What are you doing up this early and headed up there?" Raven grinned, leaning against the closest wall.

"Whatever gave you that idea?" Yuri wondered, playing along with his game. "I wanted to take an early morning stroll. Besides, you're probably going to find out later anyways." He nodded, keeping the same expression on his face. "Come on, old man. Don't you have something else to do other than see what I'm doing?" he asked.

"Oh alright, I'll leave you alone." Said Raven. "Say, have you seen Judith anywhere? I can't seem to find her."

"I saw her last afternoon and we talked a bit. Last I checked, she headed back to the castle. I can't really see how you'd miss that little detail, stalker." Yuri chuckled.

"The fact that I'm not a stalker." Raven nodded. "Well anyways, I'll really be leaving you alone now. I have something to finish up on my end here."

"Take care, old man." Said Yuri, watching him disappear... again. "Geez, I bet he's still watching me." He muttered quietly to himself.

It didn't take long before he reached the Noble Quarter, and it took even less time for him to climb over a little fence so he can sneak up to Estelle's room at the castle. Well, actually, he only sneaked up to Flynn's room before, but considering that Estelle's room is on the opposite side of the castle, it shouldn't be that different.

Climbing up a floor outside wasn't a problem really, and as soon as he reached the balcony to Estelle's room, he knocked on the window that lead inside.

No response.

This had to be Estelle's room, right? Well, just to be sure... Yuri pulled on the handle, and the window opened up quite simply. It wasn't locked.

"Well that's odd." Yuri said, slipping in and looking around. Estelle wasn't here anywhere. "Maybe she already left?" he wondered, staring around the room. He didn't feel anyone's presence, and there's nothing strange here. Maybe he did get the wrong room.

He continued looking around, spotting something on the dresser table. A group of letters, addressed to Estelle of course. Fanmail perhaps? He reached out, curious. Then...

"Huh?"

Yuri heard a sound behind him.

"Hmm..."

The faint sound of breathing. It twists and faces Yuri's direction, perhaps because of the bright light.

All thoughts vanish in an instant. Yuri's mind paused, his breathing stopped, and he can't look away. He gulps, noting the sleeping princess in the covers which he somehow failed to see. Perhaps it's the overabundance of pink on the bed that he actually mistook Estelle for being part of the bed itself.

Telling himself to calm down, Yuri breathed deeply. He can't afford to make loud noises in this situation. He had to leave this room out the window, as if nothing had happened. He'll probably be killed if anyone else found out he's in the room, with Estelle still sleeping.

"Hmm... sorry... it will take a while." Estelle mumbled, eyes still closed, though Yuri almost jumped up at how sudden she seemed to say it. But she's still well off in her dreams.

"Phew..." he sighed and slowly retreated back to the window. All the while... he knew he shouldn't be watching, but his eyes won't move away from Estelle. Her breathing and disordered sleeping clothes... this is so heinously destructive, almost unfair at how cute she looked. Seeing her like this was making him feel odd.

"Ah... mm... so bright..." Estelle whispered.

A defenceless, sleeping face. Yuri slowly retreated to the window, not being able to look away from her. How long did it take him? The two meters were infinitely long and he slid out of the room, climbing down with an almost exploding heart.

And he took a deep breath, releasing the breath he held in for so long. His knees gave way and he sat up on the ground. "Man, that was weird." He told himself quietly. "I would have thought she'd be awake by now." Well, it's all his fault, but shouldn't extenuating circumstances be taken into consideration?

"You look flustered, something the matter?" a voice asked him, Yuri looking up at the grinning face of the Krityan, Judith. "Weren't you going to ask Estelle out on a date?"

"I need to wait a bit until she wakes up. And besides, what are you doing up this early? Spying?" Yuri asked her.

"Just bored really. Ba'ul got back a few hours ago, and Ophiuchus agreed to meet with us in three days. On top of the Sword Stair." She told him.

"Guess that Entelexeia is at least, reasonable. Much like Phaeroh when we first met him I guess." He yawned, briefly closing his eyes before staring back up at Estelle's balcony. "Well, I wonder how long she normally sleeps?"

* * *

**Shaikos Ruins – Dreamscape**

Sodia was... dreaming. Using a small connection, she could see a memory she normally couldn't reach. It was 'his' memories. At the very least, it wasn't hers. This is someone else's story. It was something 'he' didn't even want to recall again. The burden of a deal that has been established and can't be withdrawn.

It's not like he wanted something. If anything, he was the kind of guy who couldn't put up with anything.

He cannot put up with having people laugh around him.

He cannot put up with having people cry around him.

He cannot put up with having people yell around him.

They're the only reasons he had for fighting an endless battle. Not against other people, but his own feelings. He was cold, and it made one worry when looking at him. But he changed a lot of people's lives, even those he hated and reviled. His life wasn't a happy one, but he was still praised by countless people for being a hero. His battles weren't meaningless, he was still able to keep the facade of a gallant figure striking out against those in opposition of the law.

But there's one pitfall there, all his battles, were carefully manipulated to take advantage of his psyche. He could not save the most important person of all, himself. A lot of people called him a hypocrite, the dog of the law. He met an uncompensated end, when his usefulness had ended.

He had few friends and a lover. He lost all of them, and he was cornered by the truth of the manipulations. He had no place to go. He was burdened with many voices of resentment, but still tried to keep going.

For what did he fight, and for what did he keep running?

He never told anyone about his motives. Everyone around him saw his as either obstinate, or an odd person. And on top of it all, he didn't talk much so she bet he was thought of as ruthless.

This memory was intriguing, to say the least.

His intentions weren't known. At the very least, no one knew about them. He never talked about his intentions after everything he did, and was burdened with many things. That's why he appeared suspicious to many people around him. It's because nobody knew his intention. He's called on by his superiors, accidentally saves a few lives indirectly, and even though he was revered as a hero, they distrusted him. It's inevitable that people would feel uneasy about him. He should have had a reason, but he hated them all to even care.

Greed, pride, selfishness, lust, vengeance, or devotion.

If he had such a simple reason, it may have been a mixture of those.

His reward for 'success' was always betrayal. The things he picked up sifted through his fingers like grains of sand.

He got used to it. He got used to it like an idiot. From the very beginning, he never felt joy in what he was awarded. He helped people and took orders, even though he hated the very people he was supposed to help.

The repetition of it made Sodia so mad in her mind that she wanted to punch him if she ever got the chance. It also made her want to cry.

The false hero. His intention was never revealed to anyone. Nobody around him knew, and he, the only person who had to know, eventually didn't care about anything anymore.

The memory of the man who was set up as a hero, along with the ensuing fall. A story of a knight who was understood by no one.

It was a simple story. In short, something was wrong with him. He had some power, and he had some ambition. But he used his powers at the wrong places from beginning to end, until his death at the hands of those who had no use for him anymore.

Again, she saw the laughing face of Hazama as he was stabbed in the heart multiple times. That's why in the end... he saw many betrayals, and his life was ended by "someone" who caused all his misery.

It made Sodia mad. She wanted to question him, 'why?' He worked hard, put in a great effort even if his actions were wasted. And his compensation was betrayal and death. It's not even a joke, not a happy ending. She had no intention of commenting on someone's life but she could never accept that.

The vision keeps going, however. Not a continuation, but an explanation of how he died. The scene of his death, Hazama standing over his dying body, facing a man in a white mask in an eerie place that didn't look like it came from this world.

"_Yukianesa, make a contract now. Keep the boy's soul inside you, until you can find another, proper wielder." _the masked man said, glaring at Hazama and readied his sword.

He weaves the words of contract, before cutting a rift through space and time itself. It is an alteration of fate. It does not matter if the masked man didn't have a way to defeat his opponent, the rift he caused pulled in Hazama and the sword, leaving the dead body and the masked man behind. The reason as to how Hazama appeared in this world. Terca Lumireis obtained a heroic spirit in compensation for this one-time miracle. It was only natural, if Hazama entered this world, then the world also took in something that can oppose such a man with evil intentions.

But the man was devious. Unable to pull himself out, he formulated a plan to make the most of his situation. Yukianesa was a way for someone in the 'new' world to oppose him properly. But it can be manipulated, along with the spirits used to forge it.

That was how this all first started. When the blade was handed to Sodia, Hazama did something to it. It didn't acknowledge her as a proper wielder until after she did the horrible things at the Lower Quarter. It's bloodlust needed to be filled, but Hazama wasn't there when it activated.

And now she presumed it had 'reset' again, at least without Virtue, no, Jin's soul. If she sees it next time, the same destructive feelings would probably assault her mind again. It's what Hazama may have planned.

The memories, the knowledge of this place... now she was beginning to understand.

It came as a suprise of course, when everything disappeared... to be replaced by a familiar sensation of waking up. It felt like forever, even though it had only been less than a day. Whatever Jin's efforts in her mind were, it brought Sodia out of her coma.

She opened her eyes, the blurry vision eventually clearing before she noticed the kneeling form of the Commandant right beside her. How long had Flynn been there?

"C-Commandant?" she wondered, reaching a hand out to him.

Flynn woke up with a start, staring at Sodia with a relieved expression. "They said you might not wake up again. I thought..." he whispered, trying to find the right words.

"I'm sorry, Flynn." She replied quietly, closing her eyes. It felt painful to move, but she was alive.

* * *

**Zaphias Castle**

"A...d-date?" Estelle asked him, twiddling her fingers. Well, that was awkward. Her cheeks flushed red at Yuri's question, but there really was one response to say. "Of course." She smiled, "... but I haven't really been in an actual date before so umm... please don't hate me if I do anything stupid."

"It can't be that different when we hang out together. You know, like at Halure or anywhere in Zaphias actually." Yuri replied.

Estelle closed her eyes, trying to think before starting, "Umm...So, what exactly are we going to do on this date?" she asked him.

"Sightseeing mostly, along with going to the Comet Inn for refreshments if we need to." Yuri told her, grinning lightly. "Come on Estelle, you've been working hard for the past few days. You need a proper way to relax since our last date was... well, rudely interrupted."

"That was a date?" Estelle wondered.

"See? You already experienced something like it, so just relax. I bet you would have agreed if I didn't call it a date anyways." Yuri said, still smiling at her.

"Oh..." she murmured, giggling to herself. "Well, I need to change for this occasion so if you don't mind, I'll meet up with you at your place in a few minutes alright?"

"I'll be waiting then, Estelle." He waved, making his exit out the window again.

Watching Yuri leave, Estelle sat back down on the bed. She was going to wear the same travelling dress again anyways so there was no need to think about that. Of course, with Yuri's proclamation of asking her out on a date, well... it made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Oh well, at least this one's a bit more... 'official.' It's just like the stories in the books she read where the two lovers confess their feelings for each other after being with each other for a while.

Granted, she and Yuri weren't really lovers but still...

"Why am I daydreaming like this?" she wondered, walking over to her closet to pick out her clothes. "I can't keep Yuri waiting for too long."

* * *

**Author's Notes: Yuri and Estelle's date will take place next chapter of course. Sorry for anyone who expected the date to be on this chapter. Anyways, just remember, Sodia is the main character in this story so expect big things to happen involving her. And Flynn I guess.**


End file.
